Mendocino and Headlands Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Mendocino and Headlands Historic District is a nationally recognized and locally protected historic district
in Mendocino
, California
. It is bounded roughly by the Pacific Ocean
on the west and south, Little Lake Street on the north and California State Route 1
on the east. It is filled with historic late 19th Century buildings built from local redwood
, such as the Mendocino Presbyterian Church
and the Masonic Hall
. Because of its resemblance to coastal villages in New England
and the Maritime Provinces of Canada
,it has been used often as the location for movies such as Johnny Belinda (1947) with Jane Wyman
and Lew Ayres
, which was set in Prince Edward Island
, and TV series such as Murder She Wrote (1984–1996) with Angela Lansbury
, which was set in Maine
.
On July 14, 1971, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
. It is also protected by historic preservation
provisions enacted by the Mendocino County
government. A visitor's center and museum are located in the historic Ford House.
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
in Mendocino
Mendocino, California
Mendocino is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California, United States. Mendocino is located south of Fort Bragg, at an elevation of 154 feet...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is bounded roughly by the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
on the west and south, Little Lake Street on the north and California State Route 1
California State Route 1
State Route 1 , more often called Highway 1, is a state highway that runs along much of the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. It is famous for running along some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, leading to its designation as an All-American Road.Highway 1 does not run...
on the east. It is filled with historic late 19th Century buildings built from local redwood
Redwood
-Trees:Conifers* Family Cupressaceae *** Sequoia sempervirens - coast redwood**** Albino redwood*** Sequoiadendron giganteum - giant sequoia*** Metasequoia glyptostroboides - dawn redwood* Family Pinaceae...
, such as the Mendocino Presbyterian Church
Mendocino Presbyterian Church
The Mendocino Presbyterian Church is an historic Carpenter Gothic style Presbyterian church building located at 44831 Main Street, in Mendocino, California, It was designed by architects S. C. Bugbee & Son of San Francisco and between 1867-1868 it was built of redwood at a cost of $10,000 by ...
and the Masonic Hall
Masonic Hall (Mendocino, California)
The Masonic Hall, also known as the Masonic Temple and Mendocino Lodge No. 179, is an historic Masonic building located at 10500 Lansing Street in Mendocino, California, coordinates ....
. Because of its resemblance to coastal villages in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and the Maritime Provinces of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
,it has been used often as the location for movies such as Johnny Belinda (1947) with Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman was an American singer, dancer, and character actress of film and television. She began her film career in the 1930s, and was a prolific performer for two decades...
and Lew Ayres
Lew Ayres
Lew Ayres was an American actor, best known for starring as Paul in All Quiet on the Western Front and for playing Dr...
, which was set in Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, and TV series such as Murder She Wrote (1984–1996) with Angela Lansbury
Angela Lansbury
Angela Brigid Lansbury CBE is an English actress and singer in theatre, television and motion pictures, whose career has spanned eight decades and earned her more performance Tony Awards than any other individual , with five wins...
, which was set in Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
.
On July 14, 1971, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It is also protected by historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
provisions enacted by the Mendocino County
Mendocino County, California
Mendocino County is a county located on the north coast of the U.S. state of California, north of the greater San Francisco Bay Area and west of the Central Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 87,841, up from 86,265 at the 2000 census...
government. A visitor's center and museum are located in the historic Ford House.