Olinsky Building
Also known as: Post Office Building; Sutherland Building; Anchor Ford Buildin
Why it's listed
Fort Bragg's Olinsky Building, at Main and Laurel streets, is a single-story reinforced concrete structure of about 14,000 square feet. Julius Olinsky built the south half in 1920, first as an Army surplus store, and added the north half in 1925 for the city's first modern post office. Its Classical Revival details include a pediment, Corinthian capitals and a long concrete cornice. The building became the hub of trucking and vehicle repair on the Mendocino Coast. Coast Line Stages, the only large commercial transporter of goods in and out of the isolated town for over twenty years, operated there until 1946 and hauled the mail. Later occupants included a bowling alley, a state employment office, Sutherland's truck and auto dealership, and Anchor Ford, which closed in 1992. After two vacant years the interior was converted into shops, a cafe and museum displays. The nomination presents it as the last transportation-era building of its kind in town, with its use peaking from 1920 to 1940.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building was the long-time center of transportation and related repair businesses on the isolated Mendocino Coast, peaking between 1920 and 1940. It housed Coast Line Stages, the area's only large commercial trucking firm for over twenty years, and later auto and truck dealers until 1992. It is also said to be the last remaining transportation-related building of its era in Fort Bragg.
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 95000995, listed August 4, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 401 N. Main St., Fort Bragg |
|---|---|
| County | Mendocino County |
| Listed | August 4, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000995 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1920-1940 |
| Architect / builder | Allen, W.W. |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Renovated after sitting vacant for two years following 1992 and now in use as the Fort Bragg Depot marketplace and museum, with shops, a cafe and museum displays. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.44569, -123.80631 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 95000995.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q56266697
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.