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Virtually unchanged for at least a couple of generations, Fairfax is affectionately known for its idiosyncratic funk, eccentric locals and colorful history. The famous Fairfax movie theater marquee (built in 1950) dazzles visitors and residents alike, welcoming everyone to the center of town with its vibrant neon lights. Though Fairfax is regarded as more of a retro-'60s sort of town with a very laid-back mentality, it's been gaining quite a reputation for being the best place in Marin to have fun after-hours, including hearing superb live music not just on weekends, but every night with clubs like 19 Broadway and Peri's. It's also considered to be an ideal area to raise families, due to its quaint, small-town flavor and determination to avoid the kind of over-the-top gentrification that has infused other areas.

Ironically, Fairfax was founded by a strait-laced, upper-crusty British dignitary named Charles Snowden Fairfax, the 10th Baron of Cameron, Scotland. His ancestors held the original land grant for the state of Virginia and he had decided to venture out West in the 1850s, hoping to discover gold. Building a lovely estate on the eastern end of town he named Bird's Nest Glen, he quickly became known for his charm and generous hospitality, even if he did have a penchant for a wee too much of the whiskey now and then. Lord Fairfax eventually was drawn into local politics and was elected as a Marin County Supervisor in 1865. After his death in 1869, his widow, Ada, sold their estate to Carlo and Adele Pastori, who transformed it into a renowned hotel and restaurant. In 1911, the entire home burned down only to be rebuilt even grander than before—eventually evolving into what is still referred to as the Marin Town and Country Club.

During the turn of the 20th century, Fairfax became a popular place to visit from San Francisco via the train, which stopped in the center of town at what is now the Parkade. Summer homes started popping up along with the established stretches of dairy farms, as the trains not only ferried dairy goods and lumber back and forth, but also city dwellers in need of a refreshing respite and a bit of fun that, of course, usually included copious amounts of alcohol from the local taverns. In 1913, another much smaller funicular railroad, called the Fairfax Incline Railway, was built on the side of Manor Hill as a way to haul prospective land buyers to see the available tracts. Apparently a speakeasy or two stood near the top of the ride during Prohibition, making the 500-foot ride all the more appealing.

Around 1911, Fairfax became a favorite spot for making Westerns, hosting the famous Broncho Billy Anderson, who had set up a movie studio in San Rafael. From 1910 to 1923 the area remained a film-location favorite; United Keanograph Studio operated in Fairfax, producing the 1915 feature Money, and the California Picture Corporation, which had an active studio in San Rafael through the early 1920s, filmed frequently in the Ross Valley—including the Western melodrama Salomy Jane, which was shot near Lake Lagunitas and premiered at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco in 1914. (Salomy Jane makes its first Marin appearance in 94 years on Sept. 27 at the Rafael Film Center; see sidebar.)

Throughout Fairfax, eclectic housing designs abound, from charming Victorian-inspired and early 1920s architecture to streamlined and redwood-infused 1960s styling. Some more unusual architecture is the result of buildings that were transformed from practical uses to more personal ones. For example, television producer Michael Rosenthal and his wife, Marlene, live in a delightful abode that used to serve as the Fairfax train-stop shelter.

In 1941 the trains stopped running from San Francisco to Fairfax and, after World War II, the absence of rail started having an impact on the community—building materials were scarce. In stepped an eccentric—or just ahead of his time—developer named Sam Harkleroad, who bought buildings that were no longer being used and then turned them into private homes. He built houses mainly in Fairfax using recycled materials and anything he could scavenge that would work. Such is the case with Rosenthal's home on Cascade Drive. "At the time, they were asking $10 for it," he says. "But Harkleroad offered them $5, which the town took. So he backed a flatbed truck up to where it was—which is now the Fairfax Parkade—cut it in thirds, loaded it on the truck and drove it about a mile away to this lot he owned."

Harkleroad just left the remains of the station there until the neighbors started complaining, threatening to burn the structure down if nothing was done. With no choice but to turn it into less of an eyesore, Harkleroad took the pieces and creatively put them together to form a very livable and uniquely designed house. "The two main parts of the train station are the bedrooms," says Rosenthal. "And the original windows are still there." Harkleroad went on to build the famous "round house" that sits on a pedestal on a hill in Novato overlooking Highway 101, just past the Rowland Boulevard exit. Rumor has it that it can be hooked up to a car battery that actually rotates the house.

West Marin didn't really start gaining population until after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, when thousands of people lost their homes and were suddenly displaced. Areas as far away as Carmel, which at the time was little more than sand dunes, were taking in record numbers of people, and new communities sprang up where little more than farms and vast areas of open space used to be. At the time, Marin experienced a huge population boom and houses were hastily built by local contractors without any actual architectural plans. San Franciscans who had had basic summer homes in the area quickly turned them into permanent residences.

Around 1917, Fairfax gained the nickname "Little Italy" as a result of the influx of Italian immigrants who moved to the area to help build the Alpine Dam. It was said that with the laborers came their special knack for growing and producing great-tasting wine, causing some streets in town be filled with the heady aroma of fermenting grapes.

The downtown area boasts many fine restaurants where great-tasting wine can still be sampled. The friendliness of the residents can't be denied and visitors to the area can't help but wonder if this would be a great place to call home.

Cascade Canyon

— Maureen Dixon