The Bar 707 / Redwood Health Club
401 Cypress St. — From cow pasture and dairy land to swimming pools, racquetball courts, saunas and today’s nightlife, this property has gone through remarkable changes.
Last updated: September 25, 2026
Overview
The large building at 401 Cypress Street is best remembered by many longtime residents as Redwood Health Club.
For decades, it was one of Fort Bragg's main indoor recreation and fitness facilities, offering swimming, racquetball, weight rooms, saunas and a jacuzzi.
Before the health club, the property was part of the Bolden Dairy, complete with a cow barn and pasture.
Today, the building is associated with The Bar 707, continuing its role as a gathering place in a very different way.
Location
401 Cypress Street sits east of downtown Fort Bragg in an area suited to larger commercial and recreational buildings.
The property's size allowed Redwood Health Club to accommodate swimming pools, racquetball courts and other facilities that would have been difficult to fit into a traditional downtown storefront.
Its history reaches back to a time when this part of Cypress Street included dairy land and pasture.
History
Before Redwood Health Club was built, the property was part of the Bolden Dairy.
A family recollection describes a cow barn, pasture and three French Charolais cattle. In the early 1970s, the property and cows were reportedly purchased from Harold Bolden for $13,000.
Redwood Health Club followed later in the decade.
Published accounts identify Dr. Michael Goldman as the founder of the club during the 1970s. Community memory places construction of the original building around 1976 or 1977.
The early facility included a smaller swimming pool, jacuzzi, separate men's and women's weight rooms and racquetball courts.
Local contractor Don Pollard reportedly purchased the business around 1980. Subsequent remodeling and expansion added a full-size swimming pool and other recreational facilities.
Over time, Redwood Health Club became one of Fort Bragg's principal indoor recreation centers, offering swimming, racquetball, tennis, saunas, exercise classes and meeting space.
The club closed on June 30, 2012, following financial difficulties and foreclosure by Savings Bank of Mendocino County. Competition following the opening of the C.V. Starr Community Center also changed the local recreation landscape.
After the closure, the property entered a transition period before being adapted for its next use as The Bar 707.
The Building Today
The Bar 707 occupies the former Redwood Health Club property, giving the building a new identity associated with drinks, music, entertainment and nightlife.
Although its purpose has changed dramatically, the building continues to function as a place where people gather.
Community Memories
For many Fort Bragg families, Redwood Health Club meant afternoons at the swimming pool, time in the jacuzzi, exercise classes and racquetball games watched from stadium-style seating.
One childhood memory includes an old-fashioned exercise machine with a wide vibrating belt that wrapped around the waist or hips.
Another recalls the pool during remodeling, when the area was temporarily dirt and was even used for a haunted house.
Not every experience was positive. One former customer remembered losing personal belongings after a paid locker was emptied by mistake and having disagreements over towel charges.
Other recollections reach back before the health club existed, when the property was part of the Bolden Dairy. Residents remember cows grazing there, the old barn and the family's purchase of the property and three French Charolais cattle in the early 1970s.
The transition after the club's closure also produced memories. One resident recalled making an offer to purchase the building from Savings Bank, only to lose it to a slightly higher offer.
Together, these recollections preserve the property's transformation from dairy land to recreation center and eventually to nightlife venue.
Why It Matters
The history of 401 Cypress Street reflects Fort Bragg's changing recreational and social life.
What began as dairy property became one of the community's principal fitness and swimming facilities, where generations exercised, played racquetball and spent time with family.
Today, The Bar 707 represents another chapter in the building's history.
From cows in a pasture to swimmers in a pool and an evening crowd gathering for music and drinks, the property has continually adapted to the changing needs of Fort Bragg.
Sources & Original Research
This article blends verifiable historical records with personal recollections shared by longtime Fort Bragg residents. Much of this information comes from community memory and is not available in any published source.
Original Buildings and Businesses in Fort Bragg, California with History post and photograph by Gee Bee.
Community recollections contributed by Karen Reynolds, India Gingell, Janet Del Fiorentino Lewis, Julie Efishoff, Rus Jewett, Dave Martin and Heather Capps.
Anderson Valley Advertiser, "Fort Bragg's Redwood Health Club Closes," July 3, 2012.
Additional background from Redwood Health Club and The Bar 707 business references included in the original research.
The remembered 1976–1977 construction period and early dairy-property details come from community recollections and have not all been independently verified.
