Larsen Family House
Also known as: Kimberly's Jewelry
Why it's listed
Built in 1904 by the Northwestern Redwood Company, this one-and-a-half story house on a corner lot at State and Humboldt streets in Willits, Mendocino County, is a fully developed Queen Anne residence. It has a steeply pitched gable-on-hip roof, cutaway bays beneath gables, a witch's hat corner tower, a wrap-around veranda with curved windows, and spindlework trim. The company erected it as a showpiece to promote its Northwestern Addition subdivision and sales of building materials from its Willits lumberyard. The nomination calls it the single best example of high-style Queen Anne architecture in the town, free of features borrowed from other styles. Alterations include a concrete foundation, new roofing, an enclosed rear porch, and removal of interior walls to create one large room, now a jewelry shop. Later renovations finished the second floor. The house retains its integrity of design, materials, workmanship and setting, and is in excellent condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an excellent, high-style example of Queen Anne architecture under Criterion C, the best in Willits. It was built as a showpiece to promote the company's subdivision and lumber sales. It keeps its integrity of design, materials, workmanship and setting despite minor alterations.
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 95001153, listed October 5, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 84 State St., Willits |
|---|---|
| County | Mendocino County |
| Listed | October 5, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95001153 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1904 |
| Architect / builder | Built by the Northwestern Redwood Company; architect unknown |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition; the front room serves as a jewelry store display room and the upstairs is living quarters. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.41343, -123.35355 (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 95001153.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q65059163
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.