Regarded as one of the premier examples of Queen Anne style architecture in the United States,[2]: 33  the house is "considered the most grand Victorian home in America.

[5] All winter, Carson and his team hauled logs from the Freshwater Slough to the Pioneer Mill on the shores of Humboldt Bay.

[5] They went south through the Sacramento Valley, bought oxen, and returned to Humboldt Bay by August 1852, where Carson, alone, went into the lumber business permanently.

The milling operations, combined with additional investments as far away as Southern California and at least partial ownerships in schooners used to move the lumber to booming markets on the west coast and all over the globe,[2] set the stage for the seemingly unlimited budget and access to resources.

[10][11] The house is a mix of every major style of Victorian architecture, including but not limited to: Eastlake, Italianate, Queen Anne (primary), and Stick.

[15] One Queen Anne style Victorian house they designed in Eureka was named "The Pink Lady," which William Carson gifted to his son Milton as a wedding present in 1889.

[18] Images of the house are prevalent in website designs and video animations as well as on posters, paintings, and book covers.

This popularity also has led to replicas being created in amusement parks, including the clock tower on the train station at Disneyland.