{"nrhp_refnum":"86000100","name":"Alford-Nielson House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1299 Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Ferndale","county":"Humboldt County","state":"CA","lat":40.58566969700007,"lon":-124.25924451099996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-01-23","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A small wood-frame Mansard-style cottage at 1299 Main Street in Ferndale, Humboldt County, California. A one-story settlement-era rear section was built about 1874 and the Mansard front about 1877; the house was moved to its present lot in 1893.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is significant for its Mansard architecture, which was popular in the northeastern and midwestern states but uncommon on the West Coast. It is the only Mansard in Ferndale and, as far as can be determined, one of only two in Humboldt County. It retains a high degree of architectural and historic integrity and is significant to the community and the county.","narrative":"This small wood-frame cottage at 1299 Main Street in Ferndale combines a one-story settlement-era house, built about 1874, with a Mansard-roofed front section added about 1877. Paired four-pane dormers, molded cornices with dentils, hooded windows, open-work corner boards and a bracketed entrance stoop give it a stylish look. The house first stood next to the Alford Brothers' drug store downtown, where it appears partly visible in an 1882 lithograph. It was moved down Main Street in 1893, with the Alford family still inside. It is named for the Alford families, who owned it from 1877 to 1893, and for the Nielson family, owners from 1912 to 1977; Maurice Nielson helped develop modern creamery operations in Humboldt County. The house is notable because Mansard design was popular in the East and Midwest but rare on the West Coast. It is the only Mansard in Ferndale and one of just two known in the county. An interior restoration in the late 1970s followed years of neglect as a rental.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Mansard","criteria":[],"status_note":"Described as in good condition, altered and moved; the interior was restored in the late 1970s and the house is 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 02:54:27.975491-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/86000100.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86000100/db2cf71057-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86000100/db2cf71057-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"United States Geological Survey","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alford-Nielson_House_1992_EarthquakeDamages.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">United States Geological Survey</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alford-Nielson_House_1992_EarthquakeDamages.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123858713","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alford%E2%80%93Nielson_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4722143"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/humboldt-county/alford-nielson-house-86000100/"}