Nathaniel Smith Headstone Installed at Hillcrest Cemetery We’re honored to share that a headstone has been installed to mark the final resting place of Nathaniel Smith, who arrived in Mendocino County in the 1850s and is believed to be the first African American to settle on the Mendocino Coast. Thank you to everyone who donated to make this possible! The Kelley House Museum, with support from [...]
Perched on Little Lake Road in Mendocino, the William Mendosa House is more than just a fine example of 1920s Craftsman-style architecture; it’s also a testament to a beloved local citizen and the enduring legacy of one of the town’s pioneering Portuguese families. Built in 1923 by local carpenter Ray Valentine, the bungalow was praised at the time as “a substantial addition to the town’s homes” [...]
On April 26, 2009, the Kelley House Museum hosted Dr. Don Hahn and Dr. Jim Swallow. The pair discussed what it was like to practice medicine in Mendocino through the years. The following excerpt chronicles Dr. Hahn’s arrival in Mendocino in the mid-1960s. To watch the full discussion, visit the Kelley House Museum YouTube channel. Zacha building on Main Street, c. 1976. Photographer: Bill Wagner [...]
Plaque dedicated to Emmy Lou Packard Excerpt of From Maidens to Mavericks: Mendocino’s Women by Molly Dwyer Emmy Lou Packard's life brought together two passions: art and a commitment to social activism. Were it not for her devotion to these two enterprises, Mendocino might be very different today− dotted with development instead of the quaint village and beautiful expanse of Mendocino Headlands State Park. [...]
Mendocino Presbyterian Church, 2025. (Photographer: Robert Dominy) Mendocino Presbyterian Church Main Street, Mendocino Albert Maxwell built this beautifully preserved English Gothic structure out of native redwood, milled in Mendocino. Construction began on October 7, 1867, and the finished structure was dedicated on July 5, 1868. It is the oldest Presbyterian Church in continuous use in California and is a California Historical Landmark. The main [...]
This summer, it’s all about beer at the Kelley House Museum in Mendocino. From June 5 to September 29, 2025, the Museum invites you to explore the rich, foamy history of the Mendocino Coast’s brewing traditions in its new exhibit, On Tap: The History of Brewing on the Mendocino Coast. Whether you’re a beer enthusiast, history buff, or just curious about local culture, this exhibit promises [...]
A page from John Dennen’s diary, with his enlistment date noted. Dennen Family Collection. While enjoying a barbecue with friends, it might be of interest to consider that a place as remote from the battlefields of Virginia and Pennsylvania as is the Mendocino Coast has ties to the Civil War. The holiday we observe as Memorial Day has its origins in the sadness and [...]
Ravens on the Bettencourt Water Tower, May 2025. (Photographer: Robert Dominy) This enclosed water tower over a gable-roofed barn is located near the corner of Heeser and Calpella Streets in Mendocino. The structure was built by Tony Bettencourt in 1905 as a workshop and to provide water for his home on the property. Wednesday, May 28th @ 5PM! Haunted Mendocino Walking Tour - Wear your sweater [...]
There is still time left to enjoy the Kelley House Spring exhibition, Don’t Panic * Eat Organic: 50 Years of the Corners Collective. Formed in 1975 as a food-buying club in Kellieowen Hall, Corners embarked on a mission to provide healthy and low-cost food for Mendocino. The following year, Corners became a not-for-profit worker collective, where the workers operated and managed themselves without one person acting [...]
The schooner Electra was built in the mid-1870s at Little River, California, by shipbuilder Thomas Heinrich Petersen. A two-masted, single-deck lumber schooner, she measured 89 feet in length and displaced just over 92 tons. With her home port in San Francisco, she was part of a vital fleet of coastal vessels that carried lumber from the redwood forests of Northern California to the growing cities of [...]