Fairhaven

E-Mail

Print Reprint

Text Size:

tool goes here

OVERVIEW

This historic neighborhood was one of four original towns to arise on Bellingham Bay. Fairhavens boom during the 1890s left a legacy of turn-of-the-century brick buildings that now house a flourishing commercial and tourist district.

The area is growing, with several new apartment and condominium buildings.

CONTACTS
City Council, Sixth Ward: 676-6970
Association of Bellingham Neighborhoods: aobn.org

Fairhaven is home to numerous community events, many based at the Village Green. District events include the It All Ends in Fairhaven street fair during the Ski to Sea Race each Memorial Day weekend.

HISTORY

Standing where Bellingham Cruise Terminal is now located, Pacific American Fisheries was the largest Pacific salmon cannery in the world, with its heyday in the first quarter of the 20th century.

SCHOOLS

Lowell Elementary, Larrabee Elementary, Fairhaven Middle, Sehome High.

District: Bellingham School District, www.bham.wednet.edu.

PARKS

Marine, Village Green, Fairhaven.

QUOTE

Fairhaven is a unique neighborhood. It has more ingredients of an urban village than any other neighborhood. We are concerned about planning for the future and maintaining and expanding on some of its historical strengths.
Ralph Thacker, neighborhood resident who is researching Dirty Dan Harris, Fairhavens founder

Similar stories:

Fairhaven Holiday Festival begins its run Friday

Fairhaven Holiday Festival begins its run Friday

The Fairhaven Historic District has expanded its December festivities to create the Fairhaven Holiday Festival, starting Friday, Nov. 25 and running through Dec. 24.

Each weekend, carolers will roam the streets of Fairhaven, horse-drawn wagon rides will take visitors around the neighborhood, and shops will be open late on Friday nights.

The festival kicks off on Friday with the traditional Holiday Art Walk, officially beginning as the Village Green stage and a Festive Forest are lit up at 5 p.m.
Public invited to menorah lighting at Fairhaven Village Green

Public invited to menorah lighting at Fairhaven Village Green

BELLINGHAM - The public is invited to a menorah lighting on the first night of Hanukkah, Tuesday evening, Dec. 20, at the Fairhaven Village Green.

The 5:30 p.m. lighting is organized by the Chabad Jewish Center of Whatcom County. It's one of more than 1,000 public menorah events around the country organized by Chabad.

Mayor-elect Kelli Linville will be there to light a candle.
Fairhaven hosts salmon barbecue and sidewalk sale

Fairhaven hosts salmon barbecue and sidewalk sale

Fairhaven's annual Salmon Barbecue and Sidewalk Sale is 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, at Fair-haven Village Green, Mill Avenue and 10th Street. On the menu: wild king salmon, coleslaw, corn on the cob, beverage and dessert for $15, or a kids’ hot dog meal for $6.

There also will be live music, face painting, a photo booth, balloons, games, raffles and kid-friendly vendors, plus a sidewalk sale from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Bellingham Boys & Girls Club. Details: www.fairhaven.com .
Bellingham shops offer alternative to Black Friday madness

Bellingham shops offer alternative to Black Friday madness

James Might has sold plenty of jewelry and art during the holidays, but having a store in a quaint shopping district makes it a much more enjoyable experience for him.

Might, who owns Renaissance Celebration in Fairhaven, has sold a vast array of art for about 30 years, with several of those years in a mall setting. The quaintness of the shopping district is one of the reasons he's enjoying the holiday season, but it's also the attitude of everyone he sees when they walk into the store.

"People are so much more relaxed (than at a mall) and it's less frantic," Might said. "When I get off work and close the store for the evening, I still find myself enjoying Fairhaven. I'm so glad I found Fairhaven after being in the malls."
10 WHO CARED: For Chuck and Dee Robinson, community service is an integral part of Village Books

10 WHO CARED: For Chuck and Dee Robinson, community service is an integral part of Village Books

Chuck and Dee Robinson opened Village Books in the early 1980s - the "good old days," considering the online challenge bookstores face today.

The Robinsons were teachers active in education circles in the Midwest before they dove into bookselling. As their store in Fairhaven grew, their time for community service grew.

"We knew no one in Bellingham when we moved here, so it was partly a way to meet people," Dee Robinson said. "As the business grew, we also had the schedule flexibility to be able to be more involved."