Buckridge Ranch House
Why it's listed
Overlooking the Garcia River about five miles from Point Arena, this ranch house is a two-story I-house thought to date from around 1869. It has a side-facing gable roof of corrugated metal, board-and-batten siding, and hooded six-over-six double-hung windows on every side. The front is symmetrical, with upper windows directly above those below and a central doorway. A shed-roofed porch across the front rests on four log posts, and a one-story section at the rear may be original or an early addition. The house is considered significant for its architecture. The I-house form reached America with English settlers in the seventeenth century and was built for more than two hundred years. This example shows the full set of Tidewater characteristics in an unusually pure form, apparently by a builder who simply wanted a functional home. It is the only unadorned I-house in the Point Arena area, and it remains a private residence.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an unusually pure example of a Tidewater-type I-house, with its form, height, window layout, roof and porch all intact. It is described as the only unadorned I-house in the Point Arena area. Its board-and-batten siding is typical of early California settlement.
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 90001359, listed September 13, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | On the Garcia River near Buckridge Rd., Point Arena |
|---|---|
| County | Mendocino County |
| Listed | September 13, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001359 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1869 (estimated) |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Other: I House |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed historic and current use is single-dwelling residential. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.92633, -123.62685 (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 90001359.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q85749332
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.