A. Berding House, Victorian residence in Ferndale, United States

The A. Berding House is a one-and-a-half-storey wooden house at 455 Ocean Avenue in Ferndale, with multiple gables rising above the roofline and decorated eaves. Its main facade has a gable with a four-panel arched window, and above it a flat-roofed bay of four windows. The house rests on a large concrete-covered foundation added in 1888.

German merchant Arnold Berding built this residence in 1875 after opening the first merchandise store in Ferndale during the California Gold Rush. The brick foundation was added later in 1888 to address moisture problems affecting the structure.

The parlor was last wallpapered and painted in 1889 for a wedding, and much of the furniture in the house was bought by Arnold and Mary Berding themselves. The name "Gum Drop Tree House" comes from the neatly trimmed row of 150-year-old cypresses in front.

The house sits on Ocean Avenue and is easy to spot from the street, with the distinctive row of cypress trees at the front serving as a clear landmark. Visiting during daylight hours lets you see the facade details and landscaping features more clearly.

The nickname "The Gum Drop Tree House" comes from the neatly trimmed row of cypresses in front, about 150 years old. The trees are the detail most passers-by notice first, yet the name is rarely connected to them.