Notice the plank sidewalk on Garden Street.  Today the house is a Bed and Breakfast called the "North Garden Inn."

Submitted by David C. Morse

Bellingham Beautiful Home Series -- No. 47

For ten years the R. I. MORSE residence at 1014 Garden street has been one of the most beautiful homes in the city. It is a very extensive structure as well, the largest square being 28x56 feet, and it contains twelve rooms and bath, exclusive of the basement which has five well furnished rooms with stone exterior and solid concrete walls and floors. The building is three stories high, and as it stands many feet above the street level and is reached by many stairs of solid rock, there are many attractive features, including the well terraced lawn with an abundance of shrubbery.

The architecture of the building is characteristic of the '90s. It was designed by Architect LEE according to plans submitted by the late Mrs. MORSE. The special features are the three-story tower in octagon shape with high dome, the deep veranda with small turned posts and grill railing for the steps, which the gable is the steep type found on old English buildings. Cut-off corners are found at every angle of the building, relieving the sharp outlines of the structure and a large oriol window for the second story is supported by turned corbels with much carving for a balcony effect on the level with the third floor windows.

The interior of the building is very attractive as well, for the apartments are very large, allowing for rough sand-finished walls with many outlined casements for the standing woodwork made of maple, fir or cedar. The hall is very pretty in native maple, including the large staircase. The first floor plan shows double parlors with fireplaces and mantels, the dining hall, with butler's pantry and kitchen, and a rear hall. The walls are tinted and frescoed at the ceiling line.

On the second floor is a hall into which open five chambers and a bath with the front rooms in a suite, making a pretty lounging room from which an unexcelled view of the city and bay may be had. A second staircase leads to the third floor, where three more chambers are complete with the same class of plaster walls as below stairs. The apartments are well lighted with many windows, although the overhanging gables are marked with carved wooden designs. Everything about the structure is in keeping with the site, and while all is massive many of the stone walls are relieved with trailing vines and well trimmed shrubs growing close to the old stone. Concrete walks are found throughout the grounds.

From The Bellingham Herald, August 24, 1907