Historic Whatcom County home hits market with $1.6 million price tag
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- Shields House, built in 1905, lists at $1.6M after 50 years off market.
- Family ownership since 1963 maintained estate’s historic architecture.
- Property includes five-bedroom home, landscaped grounds and mother-in-law barn suite.
A historic Whatcom County home is listed for sale for the first time in more than 50 years.
Known as the Shields house, the $1.6 million property on Main Street in Ferndale was originally built in 1905 and designed by architect Alfred Lee. Lee is also known for designing the old Whatcom City Hall, which has been home to Bellingham’s iconic Whatcom Museum since 1941.
“This rare opportunity invites prospective buyers to own a significant piece of Whatcom County history,” said co-listing agent Chris Boyd in a statement to The Bellingham Herald.
The 3,842-square-foot home and surrounding estate were purchased in 1963 and restored by Harlin and Dorice Hovander, according to Boyd.
“Experience timeless charm with modern amenities in this beautifully restored historic home, part of the iconic Hovander homestead legacy,” the listing states.
Dorice Hovander was an agriculturalist credited with planting the first raspberry fields in Whatcom County. She was also an active member of the Whatcom County Parks Board in the 1970s, where she helped establish Hovander Homestead Park, the Roeder Home in Bellingham, Silver Lake Park in Maple Falls and Samish Park on Lake Samish in Bellingham, according to Boyd.
The Hovanders later passed the home on to their daughter, Molly Hovander Zimmerman and her husband, Lloyd Zimmerman, in 1994, according to the Whatcom County Assessor’s Office. The pair have been stewards of the property for 30 years and worked to preserve its history, according to the listing agents.
The home has five bedrooms and three bathrooms. The property is located near downtown Ferndale and is set on almost one acre of landscaped grounds featuring gardens, a gazebo, a playhouse and garden shed, and a shop known as ‘The Barn.’
The Barn includes a bonus room and a mother-in-law suite, which is partially hidden behind a door disguised as a bookshelf. At one time, The Barn housed Whatcom Brewery, the first brewery established in the area after Prohibition, according to the listing agents.
The property’s value was assessed at about $850,000 in 2024, according to the Assessor’s Office.
