O-WEST INN

Restoring Splendor and Charm to Downtown Rohnerville, Fortuna, CA.

O-West Inn refers to a series of four historic buildings located in downtown Rohnerville, Humboldt County, California. Over time, these buildings have alternately served as a grocery store, a post office, a thrift store, a barbershop, tattoo shop, a hobby shop, a sculpture store, and residences. Renovation on this series of buildings began in October of 2019, with the goal of restoring the heart and soul of this community landmark.

A Window Into the Past

The commercial building in the center right is known as “Sow’s Ear”, a name associated with a thrift store recently housed here. The buildings in general are nearly 150 years old, and were once the centerpiece of downtown Rohnerville, formerly a town unto itself. The structure of the Sow’s Ear and the building just to its left were created using old-growth redwood harvested in the 1800s. The buildings have 12-foot high ceilings and redwood siding, inside and out (no drywall here). The lumbers full dimension, and some of the support posts are even hand-hewn and hand split!

Rohner Ranch house on the far right is now actually a comfy 2-bedroom apartment adjacent to one of the oldest buildings in Fortuna has definitely got old ranchería vibes. The Creekside Cabin rental , second from left, is an entire three bedroom, 1.5 bath house with beautiful Allen Creek bordering the backyard.

Located in the heart of Humboldt County, only 20 minutes from the world-famous Avenue of the Giants, 20 minutes from the beach and 20 minutes from Eureka, each of these welcoming and clean spaces will be like a home away from home.

Operation Restoration

‍ ‍ O-West Inn and adjacent building will be returned to a shell-like condition, which involves straightening the floors and walls and lots of clean up! The many years of settling and neglect mean that significant foundation and roof work are required — the building needs a new hat and shoes! Large screw jacks, from the same era the house was built, were methodically used to pick up the low spots. Foundation work included the addition of concrete pads under the posts. Perimeter foundations will be added on the corners, per engineered design.

Way Back When

Once a bustling metropolis (by mid-1800s standards), Rohnerville was named for Henry Rohner who opened a general merchandise store in the vicinity in 1859. A fire decimated the little town in 1895, but construction of the Sow’s Ear building and adjacent residence are believed to predate this event. This area was the town Eel River before it was the town of Rohnerville before it was incorporated into Fortuna, and in the center-left building was once the Eel River Post Office! The Sow’s Ear was originally built as a stage coach stop for the Mad River gold mines. Wagon trains would visit daily to stock supplies for the adventures ahead. The Stop was operational as far back as 1881. (Supposedly, one of these buildings may have beenconstructed elsewhere and moved.)

Ushering in a New Era

The residences on either side of the Sow’s Ear are currently available as short term rentals. Sow’s Ear now serves as a workshop and staging area in support of restoration work for the entire complex.

For more information on the O-West Inn and the Sows Ear or to book a stay contact us or visit our Instagram.