The Great Put-On / Lansing Street Commercial Block

Some Mendocino corners do not look like one business so much as a whole little village economy under one roof. This one turns out to have an even better story than that — before the clothing, coffee, toys and food, there were gasoline pumps here, and before the gasoline pumps there was a livery stable.

Overview

The commercial property at 10450 Lansing Street, at the corner of Lansing and Albion Streets, is one of Mendocino's more unusual historic buildings.

Today the property contains several small commercial spaces, including The Great Put-On, a longtime women's clothing boutique. Current tourism listings describe the shop as carrying contemporary clothing, accessories, jewelry, shoes, handbags and special-occasion clothing.

But the building itself was not constructed as a row of village shops. Mendocino County's historic inventory identifies it as the Shell Garage, dates it to 1923, and places it in Category I — the highest local historic-resource category. And the same historic record reveals something even earlier: before the Shell Garage was built, this was the site of the Boyd and Switzer Livery.

Location

The building occupies the northwest corner of Lansing and Albion Streets, directly across Lansing Street from Rotary Park.

Its long, low shape and broad frontage make more sense once its original use is known. This did not begin as a traditional Mendocino storefront. It was constructed as an automobile garage and service station.

The property has since been divided into a collection of smaller commercial spaces, which explains why different businesses have been associated with the same 10450 Lansing Street address — and why some older advertisements used Albion Street shop numbers instead. A 2019 Mendocino guide listed The Great Put-On at No. 6 Albion Street, while another advertisement in the same publication showed No. 8 Albion Street. Current listings place the business at 10450 Lansing Street.

History

The earliest documented story at this corner predates the automobile. Mendocino County's updated inventory of historic structures identifies the parcel as the site of the old Boyd and Switzer Livery Stable.

A livery stable was an essential village business in the horse-and-wagon era. Travelers could stable horses, hire animals or vehicles, and obtain services that would later be replaced by the automobile garage and filling station.

In 1923, the livery stable was demolished and the present building was constructed. The county historic inventory specifically calls it the Shell Building Garage and cites the Mendocino Beacon of June 30, 1923 as documentation for that date. So the transition at this corner was almost symbolic of what was happening across America: horses out, automobiles in.

The Mendocino Town Plan also identifies the earlier Boyd and Switzer Livery site and says it was demolished in 1923 for the present building. A 2023 Mendocino Historical Review Board report still identifies the structure as the Shell Garage 1923 and describes it as a Category I historic resource.

How long gasoline and automotive services continued here is harder to pin down precisely. One community memory places the Shell station here during the mid-1970s. Another resident who arrived in Mendocino in 1988 remembered that it was no longer operating as a gas station by then. Those memories provide a useful boundary, but the exact end of the Shell station era remains an open part of the story.

By the later decades of the 20th century, the old garage had taken on a completely different personality. Instead of cars pulling in for fuel and service, people came for coffee, food, toys and shopping.

One of the businesses remembered here was Tote Fête. Older visitor guides place Tote Fête Deli at 10450 Lansing Street, and a 2013 real-estate advertisement described Tote Fête as an established Mendocino village business with an ocean-view location and year-round trade.

Moody's Organic Coffee Bar was another familiar occupant. Mendocino visitor material lists Moody's Coffee House at 10450 Lansing Street, serving espresso and snacks. The Village Toy Store has also been associated with the property, along with the Garden Bakery and other small businesses.

The Building Today

The Great Put-On became one of the corner's longest-recognized retail names. Older Mendocino shopping guides describe the store as specializing in women's clothing, including American designers, handwoven and painted silks, special-occasion clothing and personalized wardrobe assistance. Current listings continue to place The Great Put-On at 10450 Lansing Street, with women's clothing, jewelry, shoes, handbags and accessories.

The property continues changing. Gnar Bar now operates from 10450 Lansing Street as well, serving food from another portion of the old Shell building.

Why It Matters

At first glance this corner looks less historic than a Victorian house or false-front storefront. Look at it through its history, though, and it tells the story of a village changing transportation, changing businesses and finding new uses for the same building for more than a century. From horses, to gasoline, to coffee, pizza, toys, clothing and today's small businesses, 10450 Lansing Street has been a working commercial corner all along.

Community Memories

One reply remembered when it was a Shell gas station — a recollection the county's historic records confirm, since this exact building was constructed as the Shell Garage. Another remembered buying lots of coffee here back in the day. A third came from someone who has known the owner of The Great Put-On for years and praised the store's selection, exactly the sort of personal continuity that does not show up in a historic building inventory.

Timeline

Before 1923 — The Boyd and Switzer Livery Stable occupies the corner.

1923 — The livery is demolished and the Shell Garage is built; documented in the Mendocino Beacon of June 30, 1923.

Mid-1970s — Community memory places the Shell station still operating.

By 1988 — Residents remember the gas station no longer operating.

1990s-2010s — Tote Fête, Moody's Organic Coffee Bar, the Village Toy Store and Garden Bakery occupy portions of the building.

2023 — A Mendocino Historical Review Board report identifies the Category I Shell Garage 1923.

Present — The Great Put-On and Gnar Bar operate from the property.

Sources & Original Research: Mendocino County Updated Inventory of Historic Structures — identifies 10450 Lansing Street, APN 119-236-05, as the Category I Shell Building Garage, earliest documented year 1923, and the parcel as the former livery site, citing the Mendocino Beacon, June 30, 1923; Mendocino Town Plan historic inventory — Boyd and Switzer Livery, demolished in 1923; Mendocino Historical Review Board, December 4, 2023 staff report; Visit Mendocino County and Mendocino Village business listings for The Great Put-On; historic and visitor guides documenting Albion Street storefront numbering, Tote Fête and Moody's Coffee House; Gnar Bar current business operation. Community memories contributed by India Gingell, Galen-pierre Barrow and Anna Roeth in replies to the original Buildings and Businesses in Mendocino, Ca. with history post. Original post photographs, community replies, continuing research, and compilation by Gee Bee.