105 Years Apart: Businesses Recreate Historic Carnation Building Photo in Downtown Ferndale
Explore the legacy behind one of downtown Ferndale’s oldest landmark buildings—where local businesses and history continue to shape the city’s future.
On Tuesday, August 26, 2025, dozens of business owners, employees, and members of the Oxford family gathered outside the historic Carnation Building to recreate a photo originally taken on the same date in 1920—105 years earlier.
The original photo capturing the workers of the Carnation Milk Company’s Condensery No. 19, just two years after the building’s construction, now has a modern-day companion. The new image features the current tenants of the building, including long-standing businesses, new entrepreneurs, and Brad and Rhonda Oxford— long-time owners and stewards of the building.
The event was organized by Alyssa Springs, owner of Flow Motion, a 12+ year Carnation Building tenant and current President of the Ferndale Downtown Association, as a way to honor the building’s legacy and celebrate the vitality of Ferndale’s downtown core.
“In mid-June, I happened to be looking at the original photo while standing in Flow Motion’s Tea Parlor. I noticed the August 26, 1920 date— and it hit me. We had a rare chance to bring the past to life, and I immediately knew we had to recreate this moment in history. The Carnation Building has held so many stories, and now we’re one of them.” -Alyssa Springs
[Image: Original Carnation Building workers photo. August 26, 1920.]
A Snapshot of the Day
Capturing the new photo turned out to be an adventure. The midday sun blazed overhead, and the photographer’s shot was blocked when a tractor trailer attempting a tight turn down the street brought noon traffic to a standstill in front of the building. With quick thinking by Rhonda Oxford, who stepped in—literally—to stop traffic so the photo could be taken, the group pulled together and captured a photo that will now hang proudly beside the original—earning its place in Ferndale’s history.
And thanks to the magic of modern digital editing, Rhonda was seamlessly added back into the final image by Ferndale Photographer Kim Lincoln who generously donated her time and expertise to document this historic moment. We wonder, “what would the workers in the 1920 photo think of that technology?”
Among the present-day group were employees of Kaiser Woodworks, who celebrated 37 years in the Carnation Building this August—making them the longest-standing tenant and a testament to the building’s ability to house both tradition and innovation under one roof.
In contrast to the quiet, rural setting of the original 1920 photo, where few buildings and hardly any cars travelled the street, today’s recreation took place in the heart of a bustling downtown. What was once a wide-open road is now a thriving corridor of businesses, signage, and steady traffic— a reflection of how far Ferndale has come, and how the Carnation Building continues to evolve with it.
[Image: Re-creation of 1920 Carnation Building Workers Photo. August 26, 2025. Credit Kim Lincoln Photography.]
Then & Now: A Living History
When the Carnation Building was constructed in 1918, Ferndale was a small but growing rural town centered around agriculture and dairy. World War I had just ended, the Great Influenza Epidemic was sweeping the globe, and life was marked by resilience and rapid change. At the time, women still did not have the right to vote in the United States.
It wasn’t until two years later—on August 26, 1920, the exact date the original Carnation Building Workers photo was taken, that the 19th Amendment officially became law, granting women the right to vote nationwide. Several women appear in that photo, captured on the very day their voices were recognized in the democratic process. Whether or not they knew the historical weight of that day yet when the photo was taken, their presence is now part of Ferndale’s recorded history.
Fast forward to 2025, and the Carnation Building is a vibrant hub for modern entrepreneurs—50% of which are women-owned businesses. From healing and wellness to culinary production, craftsmanship, janitorial services, tech, and creative arts, today's tenants reflect the same entrepreneurial spirit that helped build Ferndale over a century ago. All thanks to a well-maintained building due to Brad and Rhonda Oxford’s ongoing commitment to maintaining and improving the site, seven days a week.
Echoes of History
The 2025 photo wasn’t just a celebration—it was a moment of reflection. Just as the original photo may have been taken in the wake of the 1918 flu pandemic, this year’s gathering brought together many who had also weathered the storm of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the faces and timelines differ, the common threads—resilience, recovery, and the importance of community—remain strikingly similar, making this photo feel like a century-spanning reflection of community endurance.
The 2025 photo will be displayed in the upstairs hallway of the Carnation Building beside the original, forming a powerful visual timeline for future generations. Both images will also be submitted to the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, regional press outlets, and local archives as part of a broader effort by the Ferndale Downtown Association to preserve and promote the rich cultural and commercial history of Ferndale.
Supporting Downtown Revitalization
What was once a bedroom community is increasingly becoming a destination. The Ferndale Downtown Association plans to continue organizing projects that highlight the city’s heritage while inviting people to continue to travel to Ferndale to shop, dine, and explore the charm of historic downtown.
The photo recreation was a day marked by teamwork, shared vision, and community spirit. While the faces and businesses of The Carnation Oxford Building may change over the centuries, here’s hoping that 100 years from now, another group will be inspired to recreate their own moment in history—wondering who we were, what we built, and how a custom woodworking studio and a Himalayan salt cave coexisted in the same historical space - proof that even the most interesting places can hold unexpected magic.
Full-size images of both the 1920 and 2025 Carnation Building photographs are available upon request via email.
About Flow Motion and Alyssa Springs (owner):
Located in the historic Carnation Oxford Building since 2014, Flow Motion is a healing spa and yoga sanctuary offering nervous system-based therapies, sound therapy, halotherapy in their salt cave, hypnosis, sauna, and so much more. Visit www.MoveInFlowMotion.com for details. Follow Flow Motion on Instagram or Facebook.
For more on Ferndale tourism, follow Explore Ferndale on Instagram and Facebook.
About the Ferndale Downtown Association:
The Ferndale Downtown Association is committed to preserving Ferndale’s history while building a vibrant downtown core. Through events, beautification, business support, and cultural initiatives, the organization helps shape a downtown where the past is honored and the future thrives. Follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
