Ricks, Thomas F., House
Also known as: YWCA House; The Palms; St. Francis Hospital
Why it's listed
Built in 1885 at 730 H Street in Eureka, this two-story redwood house was designed and built by brothers Fred B. and Walter Butterfield for Thomas Fouts Ricks, a stable owner, and his wife Eva. Its Eastlake detailing includes brackets, a frieze with vertical strips, and stacked, canted square bay windows, a feature found on no other late-nineteenth-century house in Eureka. The house later took on civic roles. From 1907 to 1910 it served as St. Francis Hospital, founded by four prominent local physicians, and it is the only surviving building in the city that housed one of the first privately owned hospitals. After a period as a boarding house called The Palms, the Young Women's Christian Association bought it in 1935 and used it for youth programs, shelter, welfare and employment help for women. Later alterations, including a classical entry portico and Craftsman-style interior woodwork from the hospital conversion, are part of that layered history.
Significance in brief: It is the largest and most prominent Eastlake residence in Eureka by builders Fred B. and Walter Butterfield, and the only local example of stacked, canted square bay windows. It also housed St. Francis Hospital (1907-1910), one of the city's first privately owned hospitals, and later served as the Eureka Y.W.C.A.'s first and only permanent site.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 92001302, listed October 2, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 730 H St., Eureka |
|---|---|
| County | Humboldt County |
| Listed | October 2, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001302 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1885; 1907-1910 (St. Francis Hospital); 1935-1942 (Y.W.C.A.) |
| Architect / builder | Builders: Butterfield, Fred B.; Butterfield, Walter |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Stick/Eastlake |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Health/Medicine, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The form says the house is generally well preserved and is being restored by its current owner, who proposes only in-kind replacement of missing historic elements. It states the property has never been vacant. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.79990, -124.16360 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 92001302.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14684126
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.