Founded in 1887, the Bayview Cemetery in Bellingham‘s Whatcom Falls neighborhood is a piece of treasured Whatcom County history. For those who like a solitary walk beneath stately elm and maple trees, or those who enjoy finding monuments to Whatcom‘s founding families (such as Eldridge, Bloedel, and Roeder), this 234 acres in the heart of the City of Bellingham is well worth exploring.

Whatcom County is full of history for those who enjoy a peek into the past. For more information on historical areas such as Fairhaven and the Eldridge district in Columbia, please visit our Bellingham neighborhoods page.

Meet Daniel Jefferson Harris, the founder of Fairhaven, Washington, in southern Bellingham. Famous almost as much for his scruffy appearance and scrapes with local authorities as he is for his enterprising nature, “Dirty Dan” Harris claimed Bellingham land at the age of 22 (in 1833). Having long dreamed of starting a town on his claim, Daniel Harris filed a plat for the Town of Fairhaven in 1883 (at the age of 50) and promptly began selling lots, to great profit.

Today, a walk up and down Harris Street shows off buildings from the Fairhaven’s hopeful beginnings at the turn of the century, when residents hoped they would be chosen as the next new hub port (losing out, sadly, to Seattle). Fairhaven’s old-world charm lends an extra dose of appeal to the many shops and cafes here, making it a favorite destination for residents and tourists alike.

To find a Fairhaven home that’s perfect for you, check out our Fairhaven page or use our free Pacific Northwest MLS search.

Head down Cornwall Avenue in Downtown Bellingham any Saturday morning April to December, and you’re bound to find it bustling with activity.  From organic produce to handmade jewelry, floral bouquets to farm-fresh eggs and cheese, residents of Bellingham have great affection for these shops and the familiar faces who own and run them.

The Bellingham Farmers Market is open at the following times and locations:

Saturday Market:

Downtown on Railroad at Chestnut
April through Christmas
10am to 3pm

Wednesday Market:

Fairhaven on the Village Green behind Village Books
June through September
12 to 5pm

Bellingham book-lovers will tell you that our city has a bounty of quality local bookstores, and one of the finest is Village Books, located in Historic Fairhaven.  Village Books has an extensive selection of both new and used books, and they offer an eclectic mix of magazines and literary journals not to be found anywhere else in Bellingham.

Wonderful as it is, the selection here is only part of what makes this bookstore so special.  Village Books’ Literature Live program brings in both local and nationally recognized authors for readings three or four nights out of the week, offering the Pacific Northwest community a chance to enjoy readings and interact with their favorite authors face-to-face.

To find out more about life in this beautiful Bellingham neighborhood, check out our Fairhaven page.