Eureka Landmark Inspires Pink Lady Gingerbread House

Sugar and spice and everything nice! This house has it all and just in time for the holidays! Eureka’s famed Pink Lady Queen Anne-style Victorian house is the inspiration for this masterpiece gingerbread creation.

Self-described hobby baker Morgan Hamatake undertook her most ambitious gingerbread house ever after a serendipitous intersection with Eureka’s Pink Lady while searching for California Victorian houses.

Morgan began her Eureka-inspired creation by sketching the Pink Lady exterior on graph poster board. Combining 5-pounds of flour with rich butter, sugar, molasses, and a mixture of spices, she carefully baked the construction grade gingerbread, based on a recipe from her well-loved 1970s Christmas cookbook.

After baking each of the 150-plus delicate pieces, Morgan carefully assembled them on a 10-inch by 18-inch base. Once the handcrafted walls and wrap-around porches were pressed into place, intricate architectural details were layered onto the 14-inch high structure. Signature features include the ornamental turret, formed from eight separate gingerbread pieces spread with icing to create a smooth appearance, and the stunning sugar glass windows are pure magic, aglow with fairy lights. This intricate gingerbread house captures the elegance and grandeur of the Queen Anne Victorian style.

Eureka is renowned for its diverse architectural styles. The Pink Lady is a Victorian-style house designed by the Newsome Brothers of San Francisco in 1889 for William Carson as a wedding gift for his son. To distinguish the house from nearby Carson Mansion, the house was painted bright pink and white in 1963, hence the nickname, Pink Lady.

The Pink Lady was recently purchased in 2020 by Jacqueline Kretchmer. When Jacqueline viewed images of her new home cast in gingerbread, she stated, “I was absolutely tickled “Pinc” when I saw this thoughtful and detailed gingerbread design of the Pinc Lady.” Kretchmer changed the last letter in “pink” to a “c” representing her relentless support to find a cure for cancer. Reflecting on the holiday season, Jacqueline said, “A little gingerbread sure does go a long way! Morgan’s artfully inspired gingerbread design makes me happy and the spirit of the holidays is still all within our reach. COVID can’t touch these cookies!”

What started for Morgan as a hobby five years ago has blossomed during the past eight months, with more time dedicated to her craft due to the pandemic. This house took a remarkable 80+ hours to complete.

While it’s 100% edible, Morgan, her husband, and two children will instead admire this extravagant “display of gingerbread cookies” for several months at their home in Denver, Colorado. The Hamatake family looks forward to a visit to Eureka in the near future to see the Pink Lady in person, discover the rugged coastline, and get close-up to towering redwoods.

Discover the rich history of Eureka through its vast architecture. With 1,500 structures listed on the National Register of Historic Place, including the Pink Lady, there’s something for everyone to experience in Eureka.