{{short description|Historic building in Ferndale, California}} {{Use American English|date=September 2025}} {{Infobox building | name = Gingerbread Mansion | image = Ferndale CA Gingerbread Mansion 2014.jpg | caption = Gingerbread Mansion, SW elevation | location_country = United States | coordinates = {{coord|40|34|32.5|N|124|15|45.14|W|display=inline,title}} | location = 400 Berding Street | location_town = Ferndale, California | client = Hogan Ring, M.D. | main_contractor = Carpenters John Kerri and Robert Kerri | construction_start_date = 1899 | completion_date = 1899 | parking = adjacent street parking | architectural_style = Queen Anne | structural_system = fir/redwood framing, redwood planking, | size = {{convert| 10000|sqft|m2}} }} The '''Gingerbread Mansion''', also known as the '''Ring Mansion''', is a historic Queen Anne<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023–2024 |title=Ferndale, the Victorian Village Driving Tour |edition=Souvenir |pages=32 |work=Ferndale Enterprise |publisher=Cage Publishing, Inc. |location=Ferndale, California |editor-last=Titus |editor-first=Caroline}}</ref> Victorian style house located at 400 Berding Street in Ferndale, Humboldt County, California. Historically it has served as the family home of medical doctor Hogan J. Ring (1851–1930), his office, a public hospital, American Legion hall, rest home, apartments, and a bed and breakfast inn.
==About==
The Gingerbread Mansion is the largest residential building in Ferndale, with three floors, 32 rooms,<ref name="Genzoli, 1994">{{cite book |last=Genzoli |first=Marilyn |title=The Victorian Homes of Ferndale: A Pictorial Guide and History |publisher=The Ferndale Museum |year=1994 |location=Ferndale, California |pages=24 |language=en |doi= |id=}}</ref>{{rp|20}} 11 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms and extensive gardens in 1975 when it had been converted into apartments.<ref name = "Young75" />{{rp|37}} In 2017, it had 11 bedrooms and 11.5 bathrooms and is a working bed-and-breakfast inn.<ref>''Ferndale Enterprise'' Souvenir Edition, 2017.</ref>
==History==
Dr. Ring had a house, a barn, and a water tank house on the property prior to the construction of the mansion, which were moved to the Francis addition by John Morris house movers in April, 1899.<ref name ="Edeline" />{{rp|92}}{{rp|107}} The Ring Mansion was unusually well-built, even for its time, from the concrete foundation up to {{convert|2|ft|m}} crawl spaces between floors.<ref name="Edeline">{{cite web |last=Edeline |first=Denis |date=May 31, 1996 |title=Ferndale Notes: August 1893 – December 31, 1931 |url=http://www.cagenweb.com/humboldt/FerndaleFinalNotes.pdf |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926221747/http://www.cagenweb.com/humboldt/FerndaleFinalNotes.pdf |archivedate=26 September 2011 |accessdate=25 April 2011 |work=Transcriptions from the Ferndale Enterprise and the Book of Deeds at the Humboldt County Court House |pages=612}}</ref>{{rp|92}} Built from redwood, as were many Ferndale residences, the Gingerbread Mansion also has {{convert|24|in|cm}} double wall construction and {{convert|18|in|cm}} square support members.<ref name="Genzoli, 1994" />
Ring's builders created a turreted, balconied, gabled, and crested Victorian with Queen Anne influences in the spindles and turnings which cover the Berding Street facade and continue partway down Brown Street.<ref name="Genzoli, 1994" /> The exterior was fully fenced and had a concrete sidewalk built in 1899.<ref name="Edeline" /> The highly ornamented original portion of the home is in front, an addition in 1920 added the less decorated section at the rear to serve as the town hospital.<ref name="Young75">{{cite book |last1=Young |first1=Jan |title=Ferndale Today and Yesterday |last2=Eifert |first2=Larry N. |date=1975 |publisher=Low Tide Lumber Company |location=Ferndale, California |pages=48 |language=en-us}}</ref>{{rp|37}}
=== Hogan J. Ring and family ===
Hogan J. Ring was born Haagan J. Fjorkenstad, son of Jens and Helene Fjokenstad on February 17, 1851, on an estate in Norway named ''Ringtogen''.<ref name="Carlson">{{cite book |author=Ferndale Union High School Class of 1977 |url= |title=Where the ferns grew tall: An early history of Ferndale |publisher=Ferndale Union High School |year=1976 |editor-last=Carlson |editor-first=Beverly |edition=1st |location=Ferndale, California |pages=380 |language=en-us |doi= |id=0-7385-2890-0}}</ref>{{rp|196}} His older brother Johannes settled in Minnesota at age 12, and at age 14 Haagan emigrated to the United States on a sailing ship named the ''Emerald'' to join him.<ref name ="Carlson" />{{rp|196}} The Fjorkenstad boys became the "Ring" brothers from their estate name because their Norwegian name was too hard to pronounce; and Haagan became Hogan when he took U.S. citizenship.<ref name ="Carlson" />{{rp|196}}
In 1873 Ring moved to Whalan, Minnesota, where he served as postmaster and played in the coronet band. Subsequently, he enrolled at and graduated from Bennett College of Eclectic Medicine and Surgery in Chicago, Illinois (now Loyola University Chicago School of Medicine).<ref name ="Carlson" />{{rp|198}}
He married his wife Ida (1860–1901) before 1877 and they moved back to Whalan, Minnesota where Ring had a medical practice and drug store. He sold the practice in 1878, and the family moved to Grand Island, Nebraska for nine years.<ref name ="Carlson" />{{rp|198}}
Hogan, Ida and their children Johannes Glenellyn (born 1877), Rena (born 1882), Mildred (born 1887), and Verna Helene<ref name ="Edeline" /> arrived in Ferndale in 1887 and two sons, Ronald Lowe (born 1894) and Arden Garrison (born 1899), were born afterwards.<ref name="Genzoli, 1994" /> Ring was one of the town's physicians until 1930, surviving his wife Ida who died in 1900, subsequently marrying widow Eleanor Black Andreasen, with whom he had two more sons (Harlan, born 1905, and Ingvald Taft). Besides Ring's children, the family included Eleanor's two children from her first marriage. Altogether ten Ring children grew up in the mansion.<ref name="Genzoli, 1994" /> Ring's brother, Jacob, was a pharmacist and opened practice on Main Street.<ref name ="Carlson" />
In 1890, Ring's practice was located next to the old post office. From 1894 to 1896 he was in practice with Dr. Ross at various locations including next to the Red Star Clothing store on Main Street. Ring also practiced at the new Brown/Hart building in 1902; in a building no longer extant due to fire. In 1906, the building at 350 Main Street was built for his practice.<ref name ="Carlson" />{{rp|198}} Nearing the end of his life it was said he had delivered half the people in town as babies.<ref name ="Carlson" />{{rp|198}} Dr. Ring was a trustee of the High School District when it opened<ref name ="Edeline" />{{rp|142}} and his home was a social center of town, with musical events featuring Verna and Dr. Ring playing duets on piano and violin.<ref name ="Edeline" />{{rp|93}} On August 26, 1902, ''The Ferndale Enterprise'' reported that Ring daughter Verna Helene married Charles Francis Taubman in a double wedding with his brother Harry Taubman and Helene Helgestad in the parlor at the Mansion with a reception in a tent on the grounds. The Taubman's were sons of the owner of Ferndale's Red Star Clothing Store on Main Street. Their father Lee Taubman built two homes on Rose Avenue in East Ferndale.<ref name ="Edeline" />{{rp|93}}
Dr. Ring had improvements made to the house by John Kerri in 1905, by A.L. Trousdale in 1909 and the latter painted the entire house pure white in 1913.<ref name ="Edeline" />{{rp|94}}
===Ferndale General Hospital===
In 1910 Dr. Ring and Dr. Phelan opened the first Ferndale General Hospital at a building on Washington Street formerly occupied by the Catholic Convent.<ref name ="Edeline" />{{rp|79}} In 1913 Dr. F.M. Bruner bought into the practice.<ref name="Edeline" />{{rp|81}} This situation persisted until the Catholic sisters returned to open a school in Ferndale in 1915.<ref name ="Carlson" />{{rp|202}} The hospital relocated to the Bruner/Wunderlich home.
In 1920, Dr. Ring suggested that his mansion be converted into a public hospital by contractor Frank Slingsby.<ref name ="Edeline" />{{rp|94}} A 50-foot addition was put on the back of the family home and the hospital opened on March 25, 1921.<ref name ="Edeline" />{{rp|94}}
<blockquote>New Ferndale Hospital opens to public; is finely equipped ... splendidly located on Berding street at the corner of Brown, the spacious building, with modern equipment and planned to obtain the most perfect results for convenience and comfort, stands as a monument to the progressiveness of the people of this valley, who have made its construction possible ... a corridor runs the entire length of the building on the lower floor. Entering from the front, on the left comes first the public office, then to the rear an emergency operating room, bath room, three bed ward, dining room and kitchen. Off the kitchen is the wash room for linen, with stationery bus and sterilizer. The entrance to the basement is from this room, and here is to be found the steam heating plant and stationery vacuum cleaner, with connections to all rooms. To the right of the corridor is a nurse's reception room, with the superintendent's room, to the rear. Then three private rooms, the housekeeper's room and smaller rooms for different purposes. On the second floor a corridor likewise extends through the center the entire depth of the hospital. On the left are a three-bed ward, two private rooms, linen rooms, bath room and the operating and sterilizing rooms. On the right are the maternity ward, nursery, two private rooms, diet kitchen, x-ray room and dark room. Four rooms for nurses are on the third floor, with space for more rooms there if required ...<ref name="FE21">''Ferndale Enterprise'', March 25, 1921.</ref></blockquote>
In 1926, the rear stairs were added by contractor L.C. Ericksen due to state regulations on hospitals.<ref name ="Edeline" />{{rp|95}} At about this time, the Ferndale General Hospital closed and Dr. Ring had offices on Main Street in the Heney building.<ref name ="Edeline" />{{rp|166}} In 1928, after being closed for two years, the hospital, grounds and all fixtures were sold to Dr. O.B. Barron at auction to satisfy the foreclosure of the mortgage of $2,600 ({{inflation|US|2600|1928|fmt=eq}}).<ref name ="Edeline" />{{rp|95}} The Barrons moved into the home in September 1928, and Dr. Barron practiced medicine in the building.
After 43 years of service in Ferndale, Doctor Ring died in 1930.<ref name ="Carlson" />{{rp|198}} In 1931 a memorial to Dr. Ring was erected on the grounds of the Ferndale Library.<ref name ="Edeline" />{{rp|17}}
=== Later uses === thumb|upright=1.1|Gingerbread Mansion in August 2015 Subsequent to its use as the Ferndale General Hospital, the mansion was Ferndale's first American Legion Post veteran's building,<ref>''Ferndale Enterprise'', 1974.</ref> a rest home operated by Mrs. Mabel Klaverweiden, a private home,<ref name ="Carlson" />{{rp|203}} apartments and finally a bed-and-breakfast inn.<ref name="Genzoli, 1994" /> During the 1970s, owners Thomas Manning and Donald L. Dickerson<ref name ="Carlson" />{{rp|202}} maintained and enhanced the garden's border shrubbery, story-tall camellias at the entry, brick paths, statues, and fountains.<ref name="Genzoli, 1994" /> It was at this time that the building was painted in bright colors. In the 1980s, owner Ken Torbert converted the apartments to a Bed and Breakfast and continued to develop the gardens.<ref name="Genzoli, 1994" /> The first floor was returned to classical Victorian style, but at least one author has been surprised by the sensual nature of the upstairs bedrooms.<ref name="Brown2006">{{cite book |author=Brown |first=Karen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cmPcROmwFnEC&pg=PA136 |title=Karen Brown's California: Exceptional Places to Stay and Itineraries |publisher=Karen Brown's Guides |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-933810-01-0 |pages=136– |language=en}}</ref> Two child ghosts have been reported.<ref name="WlodarskiWlodarski2001">{{cite book |author1=Wlodarski |first=Robert James |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZPTWUVirfQIC&pg=PA60 |title=Dinner and Spirits: A Guide to America's Most Haunted Restaurants, Taverns, and Inns |author2=Wlodarski |first2=Anne Powell |date=17 January 2001 |publisher=iUniverse |isbn=978-0-595-16831-6 |pages=60– |language=en}}</ref> The iconic palm tree was a victim of the California drought in 2016.
The Gingerbread Mansion is referred to as one of the most often photographed bed-and-breakfasts in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|title=5 Unique B&Bs from BnBFinder|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/bnbfindercom/5-unique-bnbfinder-inns_b_5353390.html|website=Huffington Post|date=21 May 2014 |accessdate=7 February 2018}}</ref> It has been featured in ''National Geographic'', September 1977, as well as ''Sunset Magazine'', April 1972 which featured the gardens. In 1998, the formal English gardens were mature and the building was painted yellow gold on the siding, but the trim, now orange, was painted peach pink.<ref name="Communications1998">{{cite book|author=Emmis Communications|title=Orange Coast Magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E_4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA32|date=August 1998|publisher=Emmis Communications|pages=32–|id= }}</ref> The building has been painted gold and orange since at least 2001.
==References== {{reflist}} {{commons category|Gingerbread Mansion}}
==External links== *[https://www.bedandbreakfast.com/ca-ferndale-thegingerbreadmansioninn.html Gingerbread Mansion Inn] *[http://gingerbread-mansion.com/ Gingerbread Mansion Inn webpage]
Category:Victorian architecture in California Category:Buildings and structures in Ferndale, California Category:Houses in Humboldt County, California Category:1899 establishments in California Category:Queen Anne architecture in the United States