Shaw House
Also known as: The Shaw House Inn
Why it's listed
Set back from Main Street behind an old board-and-wire fence, this Ferndale farmhouse is a wooden Victorian Gothic Revival home built in stages from the mid-1850s until 1866. Steep gables, cutout bargeboard, tall finials and lattice-work balustrades give it a picturesque character, and its front facade is symmetrical, with a central gabled pavilion flanked by recessed porches. A one-story apartment was added in the 1890s and a three-car garage in 1967, but alterations have been minor. Seth Louis Shaw, the founder of Ferndale, began the house and named the community after it. Even before completion it served as post office, seat of justice and public house, and Shaw as Justice of the Peace often married couples who stayed in the upstairs bedroom. It is the oldest remaining structure in the town and was cited in a 1973 architecture guide as a "perfect Victorian Gothic Revival cottage." It now operates as a bed and breakfast inn.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as an outstanding example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, described in a 1973 architecture guide as a "perfect Victorian Gothic Revival cottage." It is the oldest remaining structure in Ferndale and the home of the community's founder, Seth Louis Shaw. It also has a high degree of historic integrity and was identified as a key structure in Ferndale's 1975 State Historical Landmark designation.
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 84000777, listed September 13, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 703 Main St., Ferndale |
|---|---|
| County | Humboldt County |
| Listed | September 13, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000777 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1854-1866 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown, probably Stephen & Seth Shaw |
| Architectural style | Victorian Gothic Revival |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in commercial use as a bed and breakfast inn, with some original furnishings still in place and careful recent restorations. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.57897, -124.26207 (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 84000777.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7491170
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.