McNear: The community effort behind Mendocino’s historic status

On July 14, 1971, Mendocino became a National Historic District and was added to the National Register of Historic Places, a list of historic locations worthy of preservation. The designated 130 acres includes the land “bounded roughly by the Pacific Ocean on the W and S, Little Lake St. on the N, and CA 1 on the East.”

The register contains over 100,000 locations, including George Washington’s Mount Vernon home and the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose. Mendocino County boasts 45 entries on the list, including the Point Cabrillo Light Station and the Sun House in Ukiah.