Look to your left for a towering pale yellow wooden building with peach trim, distinguished by its steep gabled roof and a grand staircase leading up to heavy double wooden doors. This is the Carter House Inn, and its story is absolutely incredible. You might look at this elegant structure and assume it has stood here since the eighteen hundreds, but this Queen Anne style Victorian is actually a modern replica completed in nineteen eighty two.
The house that inspired it was originally designed by the famous nineteenth century builder architects Samuel and Joseph Cather Newsom. That original structure stood in San Francisco until it was completely destroyed by the devastating fires following the nineteen oh six earthquake. Fast forward to nineteen seventy eight, when a young local remodeler named Mark Carter was browsing through a Eureka thrift store. Miraculously, he stumbled across the original blueprints. Rebuilding it here became a unique form of historical dedication. He bought a plot of land and spent four painstaking years building his dream family home from scratch.
But bringing that lavish aesthetic back to life came with a heavy cost. Sourcing and recreating the intricate Victorian wood moldings, those highly decorative wooden trims that frame the walls and ceilings, was incredibly expensive. The project quickly spiraled over budget. To save his massive investment from financial ruin, Carter had to reluctantly open his five bedroom home to paying guests. That tough pivot launched an entire hospitality empire.
Today, the Carter House Inn has expanded into five gorgeous buildings. It maintains cozy traditions like a welcoming wood fire and evening wine, making it a quiet refuge for celebrities like Morgan Freeman and Dustin Hoffman during the filming of the movie Outbreak. The inn also houses Restaurant Three Oh One. Almost thirty years ago, it became an early pioneer of the farm to table movement, pulling fresh ingredients from its own organic garden down the street. Celebrity chef Curtis Stone even made his initial mark on the American culinary scene right in that very kitchen. They also boast a massive thirty eight hundred bottle wine collection that inspired the owners to launch their own highly rated Carter Cellars wine.
Of course, balancing high end luxury and business can be complicated. In twenty twenty four, the founders entered a bitter, highly publicized divorce, leading to a fierce legal battle over hundreds of thousands of dollars and corporate control of the properties.
Through it all, the inn remains a breathtaking homage to Victorian beauty, welcoming guests twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Now, remember those original architects, the Newsom brothers? Carter inadvertently built his replica just a short stroll away from their most famous creation. Let's head there now, because a quick three minute walk will bring us to the steps of the most legendary house in the city.
