{"nrhp_refnum":"82002183","name":"Rectory, Catholic Church of the Assumption","other_names":["Old Catholic Rectory"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"563 Ocean Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Ferndale","county":"Humboldt County","state":"CA","lat":40.574731702000065,"lon":-124.26270157599998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-02-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Religion"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story Queen Anne/Eastlake style parish rectory at 563 Ocean Avenue in Ferndale, Humboldt County, California, built in 1884 and moved in 1964 from its original site beside the Catholic Church of the Assumption.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the rectory is a beautifully preserved example of Queen Anne/Eastlake architecture with Stick and Eastlake ornamentation. It was also identified as a key building when Ferndale was designated a State Historical Landmark in 1975. It is culturally important as the home of the local Catholic parish's priests for about eighty years.","narrative":"Built in 1884 beside Ferndale's Catholic Church of the Assumption, this two-story rectory housed the local parish priests for roughly eighty years. Its tall proportions, steep hipped roof, and stacked two-story bays carry Stick and Eastlake ornamentation, including cutout appliques, scroll-shaped brackets, stained glass panes, and a porch frieze of small squares. A one-story library with a flat roof was added around 1900 and tied to the main house through the porch extension and brackets. The rectory served immigrants from Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, and Portugal. In the early 1960s the parish proposed demolition, and residents protested, even writing to the Pope. The building was instead moved in 1964 to Ocean Avenue, where it was restored inside and out and surrounded by formal gardens. It was listed for its architecture and its place in Ferndale's heritage and Catholic community. The structure is redwood with shiplap siding.","period_of_significance":"1884","architect_builder":"George F. Costerisa","architectural_style":"Queen Anne/Eastlake (with Stick ornamentation)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Described as in excellent condition, altered by its 1964 move, and restored; now occupied as a private residence.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:31.781898-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/82002183.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82002183/1bb392c697-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82002183/1bb392c697-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Ellin Beltz","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ferndale_CA_Rectory_563_Ocean.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Ellin Beltz</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ferndale_CA_Rectory_563_Ocean.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123858788","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rectory,_Catholic_Church_of_the_Assumption","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7303229"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/humboldt-county/rectory-catholic-church-of-the-assumption-82002183/"}