Cypress Street Barn

Overview

Cypress Street Barn at 369 Cypress Street is a former dairy barn that has found a new life as a woodworking workshop, gallery and event space.

Once part of the old Bolden Dairy, the building retains its distinctive barn shape and practical character. Where cows were once milked and farm chores filled the early mornings, woodworking, furniture making and art exhibitions now carry on a different kind of hands-on tradition.

Location

The barn stands at 369 Cypress Street in Fort Bragg, in an area once associated with a much larger dairy and agricultural landscape.

Longtime residents remember Bolden Dairy occupying extensive property in this part of town, including land extending toward the Noyo River and the area where the hospital now stands.

As Fort Bragg developed, the surrounding dairy land gradually gave way to other uses, leaving Cypress Street Barn as a reminder of the neighborhood’s agricultural past.

History

The building is remembered as a cow barn belonging to Bolden Dairy, operated by Harold Bolden.

Community memories place the dairy in operation during the 1930s. One particularly vivid recollection describes an eleven-year-old boy whose first job was milking cows for Harold Bolden every morning before school in 1938.

Bolden Dairy was a substantial working farm with milk cows and daily milking operations. Surviving milk bottles bearing the dairy’s name provide another connection to Fort Bragg’s local dairy industry.

As the town expanded and the dairy era faded, the old barn eventually found another purpose.

Today, Cypress Street Barn serves as a collaborative woodworking space, gallery and venue for exhibitions and community events. It has hosted exhibitions associated with the Krenov School, continuing Fort Bragg’s tradition of fine woodworking and craftsmanship.

Its transformation preserved the building’s working character while introducing a new chapter in its history.

Community Memories

Residents remember the building as part of the old Bolden Dairy, describing it as a cow barn belonging to a substantial local farm.

One particularly personal memory recalls a father whose first job was milking cows for Harold Bolden in 1938. At approximately eleven years old, he worked every morning before heading to school.

Other recollections reinforce the connection between the barn and the broader Bolden Dairy property, helping identify a surviving piece of Fort Bragg’s agricultural landscape.

These memories connect the building’s present-day creative use with the people who once worked there.

Timeline

1930s — The building is remembered as a cow barn associated with Harold Bolden and Bolden Dairy.

1938 — A family recollection places an eleven-year-old boy milking cows for Harold Bolden every morning before school.

Mid-20th Century — Bolden Dairy remains part of Fort Bragg’s agricultural landscape.

Later Years — The surrounding dairy property gradually transitions to other uses as Fort Bragg develops.

Modern Era — The former barn is adapted into a woodworking workshop, gallery and event space.

Today — Cypress Street Barn continues as a creative venue associated with woodworking, exhibitions and the local arts community.