Bridgeville, a small town in Northern California, made history in 2002 when it was put up for sale on eBay. The 80-acre property attracted 250 bids during a month-long auction, with the highest bid reaching $1,777,877. Now, 24 years later, Bridgeville is preparing to return to the property market.Located along the Van Duzen River, Bridgeville is about 45 miles southeast of Eureka and 26 miles east of Fortuna, according to Realtor.com. The rural community has an estimated population of only 25 people and is surrounded by redwood trees. The property has gone through several owners since it first gained attention on eBay.The town was initially listed by its former owner, Elizabeth Lapple, with a minimum bid of $775,000. Although the auction attracted strong interest, the winning bidder later backed out after learning about the amount of work the town needed. According to the report, several other potential deals also failed.Two years later, in 2004, financial adviser Bruce Krall from Orange County, California, bought Bridgeville for $700,000. The deal included 10 houses, four cabins, a post office, a cemetery and several other structures. Krall reportedly wanted to turn the town into a health spa, but later realised he could not afford the restoration work and put it back on eBay in 2006.
New owner had different vision
In 2006, Bridgeville was bought for $1.25 million by Daniel LaPaille, a 25-year-old entertainment manager from Los Angeles. LaPaille wanted to give the small town a new direction by developing it as a self-sufficient, off-grid destination.However, LaPaille died by suicide months after purchasing the property. His family later became the owners of Bridgeville and has continued to look for someone who could take forward at least part of the vision he had for the town.“It was all about community for him,” Cindy LaPaille, Daniel’s mother and the current owner of Bridgeville, told Realtor.She said she hopes the next owner will be interested in building up the local community. “I would like to see somebody who is really wanting to see the community flourish,” she said.Cindy added that an ideal buyer would be able to live in Bridgeville, something she cannot do because she lives in Southern California. The family has received various suggestions over the years about how the property could be developed.
The rural Northern California town is surrounded by redwood trees and lies between major highways.
Small community surrounded by nature
Despite its small population, Bridgeville continues to have an active community. Residents use the town’s school as a meeting space. This allows them to stay involved, although the limited space also restricts the types of meetings that can be held.“There are a lot of great people out here. They all love community, they all love nature. They probably wouldn’t live out here if they didn’t,” Cindy said.The town also has several fruit trees, including pear, plum and apple trees. Blackberry bushes can also be found across the property. Wildlife is another part of everyday life in Bridgeville.“We have two resident bears, lots of deer, wild turkey … if you’re sitting out here, you can always just look across and see something. … We have it all,” Cindy said. “I’m told we have a bobcat. But that I haven’t seen.”The family has also been encouraged to turn Bridgeville into an Airbnb destination to attract people interested in nature. Cindy said the family had considered different options but had also tried to keep LaPaille’s original dream alive.“We kind of held out a few times trying to fulfill his dream. It’s an interesting process here,” she said.
Going back on the market
Bridgeville has been on and off the market since 2014. Its asking price has never again crossed the nearly $1.8 million mark reached by the winning eBay bid in 2002. The property was listed for as much as $1.5 million in 2023 and was most recently listed for $1.2 million in March 2025.The town is expected to be listed again later in September by Derek Baca of Madrone Realty. The exact asking price has not yet been confirmed, and it is also unclear which structures will be included in the new listing.Baca said potential buyers have already asked about what could be developed on the property. Suggestions have included adding cabins and creating an RV park. “Yes, you can absolutely do all those things,” Baca said.He explained that Humboldt County is open to economic development. Even if a proposed project does not fit the existing zoning, buyers can go through the planning and building process to have the property rezoned or reclassified, he said. Bridgeville also has public power, despite LaPaille’s original plan for an off-grid community.Baca believes the town could have potential for development if a buyer is willing to invest in it. “It is a place that if somebody had the money to develop and turn into something, I think it would flourish 12 months out of the year,” he said.He also highlighted Bridgeville’s location between Highway 5 and Highway 101. According to Baca, this makes it “a good middle ground” for people travelling through the area.He suggested that facilities such as a gas station, a food truck or even a solar-powered electric vehicle charging station could serve travellers passing through.