The Ingomar Club is a private club in Eureka, California that owns and is based in the Carson Mansion, one of the most notable examples of Victorian architecture in the United States. According to researcher Wally Graves, the Club was founded "to own and maintain a club headquarters for the meetings and enjoyment of its members; to create, establish and maintain an association of gentlemen for the preservation and protection of historic 'Carson Mansion'; to promote interest among its members in athletics, yachting, golf, swimming and related activities; to promote good fellowship, and to associate together those interested in the field of fine arts, music and culture"[1] More recently, the Club defines its mission as one of maintaining the Carson mansion while providing dining and social outlets for its members.[2] While for many years, the Club operated with minimal scrutiny, it has not escaped controversy, both due to a long-standing policy of male membership and sexual harassment claims by former employees.
In the late 1940s, two Eureka businessmen, J.H. Crothers and Carl Gustafson, came up with the idea for what is now the Ingomar Club. Modeling their vision after an established organization, the Humboldt Club, they and other prominent members of local society began meeting and looking for a physical location to house the club. In particular, they focused on the vacant Carson Mansion, which had been built by lumber baron William Carson, who had been a member of the Humboldt Club. Since his heirs had moved to San Francisco[2], the club founders were able to negotiate a price of $35,000[1] The Ingomar Club incorporated in May 1950, taking as its name that of the protagonist in Carson's favorite play. Once the purchase of the Carson Mansion had been finalized, members promptly went to work restoring the Mansion to a usable state and adding a new section, spending a considerable sum of money in the process.
When the Mansion was upgraded, elements and remodeling occurred that changed the internal layout of the mansion significantly. In 1988, the organization's management began a restoration process that made significant progress in restoring aspects of the Mansion back to the days of its original owner.[3] After the 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquakes, the Mansion suffered damage as it did in 1932, requiring the club to add a surcharge to member's dues to complete significant repair and restoration work.[1]