Located in the northwest corner of Washington state the city of Bellingham is located on the Interstate 5 corridor between the two metropolitan cities of Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia. With the Cascade Mountain range to the east and the San Juan Islands in the Pacific to the West Whatcom County is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts.
Bellingham's Historic Fairhaven District is situated on the southside of the city abutting Bellingham & Harris Bay's. Fairhaven was platted in 1883 by Daniel Jefferson Harris. At that time the Town of Fairhaven consisted of 85 blocks 200 feet square. Dan then sold 238 of the 50 X 100 lots and by the end of the year grossed approximately $22,000.00. That same year he spent $16,000.00 of the proceeds to build the three story Fairhaven Hotel at 4th & Harris with a deep water dock. In 1889 Dan sold the remaining lots and unplatted acreage to the railroad for $75,000.00. Dan died in Los Angeles in 1890, but by 1896 when the Washington portion of his estate was settled the local property values had plummeted and his five heirs each received $33.93. For those history buffs, the life of Daniel Jefferson Harris, "Dirty Dan" was legendary. Ralph W. Thacker has published a book featuring Newspaper clippings on the life and death of Dan Harris. Then there is the Folktales book by Michael Sean Sullivan captivating readers with the many entertaining stories of the salty old timer who was a smuggler that created a city to build his fortune.
Current day Fairhaven retains the historic charm and character of yesteryear. This now bustling community was brought back to life in the 70's by the Imus family and others who put their money & heart into the community. The Fairhaven Historical Brochure, organized and produced by the Old Fairhaven Association keeps the history alive via a walking tour of the historic buildings and their lively pasts. A local fellow, Jim Rich has become our official "Dan Harris" and can be retained to lead historical walking tours throughout the district.
Over the past five years the Fairhaven District has attracted developers who have constructed several mixed-use commercial & residential buildings. Condominium life in Fairhaven is thriving and almost all the residential and retail unts are occupied. The latest project to be completed is the Waldron Young Condominiums, which is a historical restoration of the Waldron building. The five story Waldron building was constructed in 1885 by C.W. Waldron using bricks that were used as ballast in the ships arriving in the bay. Unfortunately, Seattle was chosen as the port city so the upper floors of the Waldron building were left unfinished and C.W. Waldron's bank & investment went promptly under. Today, this incredible building has been completely renovated and consists of two floors of commercial space and three floors of luxury condominiums taking in the views of Fairhaven, San Juan Islands and beautiful water views. The Young building is new construction with an old world flair and pacific northwest contemporary styling. For additional information on this project check out www.thewaldron.com.
If you would like further information about the wonderful Historic Fairhaven District, feel free to contract me at 360-739-9625.
