James and Frances Laughlin came to Sonoma County in September 1855 and settled on the property now known as Shady Farm. Laughlin built a cabin here. He split the redwood used in its construction and may have harvested the wood from a former redwood grove near Windsor.

In 1876, the cabin was replaced by the present structure built by T. J. Ludwig who was considered among the finest builders in Sonoma County. Ludwig also designed the McDonald Mansion in Santa Rosa. The architectural design illustrates the transition from simple Greek Revival to the more elaborate Italianate of the late 1870s.

Source: NRHP nomination submitted in 1979.

When we photographed the Laughlin House, the restored building housed the headquarters of the Airport Business Center.