The Carson Mansion at 143 M Street is the most photographed building in Eureka and arguably the finest example of Victorian architecture on the entire West Coast. Built in 1886 by lumber magnate William Carson, it is an extravagant exercise in the Queen Anne style: turrets, gables, wraparound porches, jigsawed ornamental woodwork, and a riot of decorative detail across every exterior surface. The house uses eighteen different types of wood from Carson's timber operations, and the craftsmanship is extraordinary.
The mansion is now owned by the Ingomar Club, a private men's club, and is not open to the public for interior visits. But the exterior can be fully appreciated from M Street, and the surrounding neighbourhood of well-preserved Victorian homes makes the walk worthwhile. The nearby Pink Lady cottage, built by Carson for his son at the same time and now used as a bed and breakfast, gives a sense of what the interiors might look like.