Getchell, O. W., House
Why it's listed
Overlooking the Pacific from a bluff beside State Highway One near Collins Landing, south of Anchor Bay, this two-story redwood-framed house was built about 1870 by Osgood W. Getchell. Getchell was an early settler who cut and sold redwood timber and came to own several lumber schooners. He placed the house so he could watch the cove and the landing where ships took on lumber, and a flagpole in the yard is said to have been used to signal his captains. The house has intersecting gable roofs, broken pediments on the east and west ends, shiplap siding, and an interior that keeps a cherry wood balustrade, wood ceilings and two fireplaces. A later rear lean-to was slated for removal. The property was recognized for its link to the region's timber and maritime trade and as one of few early wood-frame homes to survive the area's fires and the 1906 earthquake.
Significance in brief: The nomination ties the house to the north coast redwood timber industry and the lumber schooner trade between the coast and San Francisco. It was built by a timber merchant who owned schooners and sited the house to overlook the loading cove. It is also described as one of very few first-generation homes surviving in the area and a wood-frame building that outlasted the 1906 earthquake and forest fires.
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 80000819, listed October 3, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | CA 1, Anchor Bay |
|---|---|
| County | Mendocino County |
| Listed | October 3, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000819 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | O.W. Getchell |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied and in good, largely unaltered condition on its original site. A rear one-story lean-to addition is scheduled for removal. Correspondence in the file notes the property was threatened with possible demolition. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 38.79659, -123.56905 (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 80000819.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q133305477
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.