Miles Minor Kellogg Ship Houses

I doubt Mr. Kellogg was concerned (if one needs to be?) about global warming back in the early 20th century, but he was ahead of the curve on recycling. Part entrepreneur and part architect, Mr. Kellogg built these "house boats" with no intention of them ever being actually put into the water.

His ultimate recycling triumph was the boathouses on the west side of Third Street between F and G. What a stir they created back in the late twenties. The editor of the local paper poked fun of Mr. Kellogg's creation and Mr. Kellogg retaliated with a major tongue-lashing! But then his imagination soared and he thought back to earlier days when he had worked on bats at Lake Michigan and the idea came to him to build "boat houses." His young son, Miles Justin Kellogg, helped every day after school until they were completed. In 1928 the boat houses could be seen from Highway 101 and people passing through town began to turn west for a better look at the structures. Down through the years the boathouses probably have been the most photographed buildings downtown and are a unique symbol of our surfing, beach, and Hwy 101 culture.