The Carson Mansion

As I have read countless times, the Carson Mansion is perhaps the most recognizable historical landmark on the North Coast and the most photographed Victorian house in California and perhaps even in the United States. If this is true, then wouldn't it stand to reason that The Pink Lady across the street is just as popular and could lay claim to the same? How could anyone photograph one without the other?

Lumber magnate William M. Carson built this "over-the-top" Queen Anne style Mansion in 1884 and hired San Francisco's famed architects Newsom and Newsom to create most of what we see today. Apparently, Carson gave the brothers free rein in the designing of the mansion and this could explain a lot! No plan for the house has ever been discovered among the Carson papers or the Newsom Brothers collection. The Newsom Brothers also designed "The Pink Lady" and the "Carter House".

The mansion was built on a bluff overlooking Carson’s lumber mills and docks with a tall cupola so Carson could oversee and observe his workers from the mansion. I have also read that Carson built this mansion to keep 100 of his workers employed during a slump in the timer industry, but this is only a myth according to this website. http://www.times-standard.com/restore/ci_11020871

The mansion combines several different styles including Italianate, Eastlake, Stick and Queen Anne. Redwood was used in the construction along with 97,000 feet of imported honey colored primavera from Central America and other woods and onyx from the Philippines, East India, and Mexico. The interior consists of 18 lavish rooms fitted with stained glass windows, plasterwork, and carved ornaments in exotic woods.

It is said that Sarah Carson, who was a simple woman, never felt truly comfortable in the mansion and preferred their previous two story cottage to the mansion. She lived in the mansion 18 years until her death in 1904. William died in 1912 and the house was then left to the Carson's son Milton and his wife Mary Bell Carson. They lived there for some 30 years until their deaths. Their daughter then sold the mansion to the Ingomar Club members and a private men's club was established at the mansion.

The Pink Lady of Eureka

Located on 2nd Street and M and across the street from the Carson Mansion in Eureka is this Classic Queen Anne Eastlake style Victorian home known as "The Pink Lady". Designed by the famed San Francisco Newsom Brothers and architects of the Carson Mansion, the Pink Lady was built in 1889 by William Carson as a wedding gift to his son J. Milton Carson. During the 1940's the property left the Carson family and became a boarding house and eventually fell into disrepair. In 1963 the property was purchased by Robert Madsen, a local real estate broker and former city councilman and mayor of Eureka. It was immediately restored to its former glory and has been looked after and maintained by the Madsen family ever since. During the restorations in 1963-1964, a decision to paint the mansion bright pink was made in order to contrast its color with the dark color of the Carson Mansion.

I've also read on the internet that over the years the house had many owners. It was sold by J. Milton Carson in 1920 and was operated as a boarding house by two sisters in Germany who had inherited the property. In 1942 it was seized as Nazi property by the U.S. government and later sold at public auction in 1951 to Lloyd Bridges and Associates. He was the father of actor Lloyd Bridges.


I much preferred this smaller pink mansion with its domed turret to the large and ostentatious Carson Mansion. While both are exquisite and beautiful, the Pink Lady seems a bit more unpretentious and homey! The mansion is a private residence and tours are not available.

I shot these images near sunset and like the way the golden light makes the pink glow!