THE SILVERY MOON

Retail > Gifts

Long before Fairhaven was a part of the city of Bellingham, it was one of four settlements surrounding the Bellingham Bay. It was first settled in 1853 as a pioneer settlement, and years later was founded as the town of Fairhaven by Daniel J. Harris (Dirty Dan Harris) in 1883. Fairhaven continued to grow rapidly over the next several years, but by 1903 it became a part of Bellingham. Because of Fairhaven's location on the waterfront, it became a prime location for manufacturing, including the manufacturing of salmon, lumber, and coal. However, after WWII, the manufacturing shifted to downtown Bellingham, causing Fairhaven's population to decline. Several buildings were demolished after this decline, but in 1977, Fairhaven was designated as a historic district, and has since maintained 17 historic buildings.Fairhaven has had a number of other noteworthy events throughout its history, including the construction of the Fairhaven Hotel. It was known as the symbol of the Imperial City of Fairhaven, and was very grand and modern for its time. However, the hotel saw its end in 1953 when an electrical fire destroyed a large portion of it. It was torn down over the next few years, but as of 2018, a new building known as Fairhaven Towers has been constructed to honor the old hotel. The Fairhaven hotel was once visited by Mark Twain as a guest of C.X. Larrabee and his wife Frances Payne Larrabee who lived in the hotel. He went on to entertain a crowd of 700 that evening in the town of New Whatcom (just north of Fairhaven and now a part of Bellingham).

Fairhaven at one time was also known as the center of Bellingham's "Hippie Mecca", which was said to be one of the highest ranked in the Pacific Northwest on a per-capita basis. Visit fairhavenhistory.com to learn more about Fairhaven's rich history and the buildings and landmarks that still stand today to represent its history.

Is this your business?

Claim your business to immediately update business information, manage reviews and more! and its FREE

Claim This Business