|
|
|
The Lodge at Noyo River
|
|
|
|
A Historic Bed and Breakfast Inn
At the Mouth of the Noyo River
In Fort Bragg, California
|
|
|
History of the Lodge at Noyo River
|
|
|
On the bluff above the Noyo Harbor in a secluded yet commanding site, sits the Lodge at Noyo River. In its heyday there were three lumber mills operating full time in Noyo on what was called the Noyo flats. It was a bustling community with three hotels, numerous saloons, and assorted merchants. The lodge, which has continued to act as a welcoming Noyo River beacon since 1868, contains a history as rich as the area surrounding it.
|
|
|
|
Beginning in the 1860s, there was a rush to harvest redwood trees along the north coast. Alexander MacPherson, a young Scotsman living in San Francisco, was the first to build a logging mill in Noyo Flats. During the construction of the mill, he built a home on "Stony Point" and moved his family in. Some say he chose the spot so that he could count the logs from his window as they rushed down river.
|
|
|
|
In 1908, Mr. Harry Holmes, another gentleman who made his living in the woods, purchased the property. Mr. Holmes was Superintendent of Woods for Charles R. Johnson's Union Lumber Company, and was very likely the highest paid salaried man in the area.
|
|
|
|
The Union Lumber Company was in the process of purchasing all the smaller, independent mills for consolidation into one large mill. That mill was built where the Georgia Pacific Mill stands today on the Fort Bragg headlands.
|
|
|
Mr. Holmes remodled and added onto the Noyo River House. Today, a photo of the Holmes family enjoying the patio shortly after the completion of the renovation can be found in the lodge's second floor hallway.
|
|
|
One tremendous benefit of the remodeling is the beautiful board and batten paneling that was installed on walls and ceilings throughout the inn. The skilled Scandinavian shipwrights working as carpenters used the finest wood materials such as choice heartwood fir and clear redwood. Today, the light reflecting off the wood produces a warm glow that gives a special romantic ambiance to the rooms.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|