Fire investigation ongoing and official fire investigation reports pending

 ABOVE: The scene at Historic Wintersburg after firefighters put out the fire. The 1910 Wintersburg Japanese Mission is standing at right, the south end charred, and the 1910 Manse is at left in front of the firefighters. (Photo courtesy of Patricia Singer, February 25, 2022) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

   [Huntington Beach, California]  As an update today, the Huntington Beach Police Department informed preservationists that the fire investigation is ongoing and that the official investigation reports are not yet complete. The official investigation reports from the police department and Huntington Beach Fire Department are expected to be completed and released within the next two weeks, per a police investigator.

LEFT: News release issued by the City of Huntington Beach on March 18. (Source: City of Huntington Beach)

   On Friday, March 19, the City of Huntington Beach issued a press release stating "the Huntington Beach Fire Department, in collaboration with the Huntington Beach Police Department, has completed a rigorous investigation into the cause of the fire that took place at the Wintersburg property." However the information received today indicate the investigation is ongoing and the official investigation reports are still pending.

      The fire resulted in the loss of two historic structures, the 1910 Wintersburg Japanese Mission and the 1910 Manse (parsonage).  The sole remaining structure of the three buildings representing the Wintersburg Japanese Mission Project, founded in 1904 by both Christians and Buddhists, is the 1934 Wintersburg Japanese Church. The 1934 Church structure was funded and constructed during the Great Depression through individual small donations from around Orange County.

ABOVE: The 1934 Wintersburg Japanese Church at the intersection of Nichols Lane and Warner Avenue is in the Spanish Revival style with an engineered interior structure old-growth redwood. The Historic Wintersburg property was under the ownership and stewardship of Republic Services at the time of this photograph in 2018 and currently remains under their ownership. (Photo, M. Urashima, September 11, 2018) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

   In the above image, the front door to the 1934 Church has been vandalized. The building shows patchy and mismatched painting over tagging. Volunteers offered numerous times to Republic Services to help repaint the building and remove trash around the exterior of the property. 

RIGHT: The vandalized front door of the 1934 Wintersburg Japanese Church building. (February 10, 2022) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

   The front door to the 1934 Church building was vandalized again more severely in early February and notification was sent to Republic Services and the City of Huntington Beach on February 10, 2022, requesting the front door be boarded over to prevent further damage. This notification two weeks before the February 25 fire included ongoing and reported concerns about vandalism, trespass, lack of security, and lack of maintenance being a fire risk at the property. 

  An update will be provided when the official fire investigation reports from the Huntington Beach Fire Department and Huntington Beach Police Department are released.

ABOVE: The 1934 Wintersburg Japanese church upon its dedication in Wintersburg Village, following four years of fundraising and construction during the Great Depression. (Santa Ana Register, December 10, 1934)

© All rights reserved.  No part of the Historic Wintersburg blog may be reproduced or duplicated without prior written permission from the author and publisher, M. Adams Urashima. 

STATEMENT: In response to March 18 news release by HBFD and HBPD

     [Huntington Beach, California} We appreciate the Huntington Beach Fire Department (HBFD) and Huntington Beach Police Department (HBPD) conducting their investigations. We are relieved to hear they do not consider it an intentional fire. It does point to the inadequate security and lack of care and maintenance by the current property owner, Republic Services.

   We will request copies of the full investigation reports. We hope those reports will provide more details about the details of the demolition of the two structures, not mentioned in the HBFD and HBPD news release.

 

LEFT: News release issued by the Huntington Beach Fire and Police Departments. A copy of the full investigation reports is being requested. (City of Huntington Beach, March 18, 2022)

 

   An important clarification on the statement that HBFD was "able to limit the amount of damage and protect the church." One church was lost.

 

• There were two church or sanctuary structures on the property. There is now only one.

 

• The 1910 Wintersburg Japanese Mission is a church. The 1910 Manse was used as a parsonage for both the 1910 Mission and the 1934 Wintersburg Japanese Church for half a century, up until the 1960s when the congregation moved to a new location in Santa Ana.
  

 

• The 1934 Wintersburg Japanese Church structure with its cornerstone is the only visible and only remaining church structure at the corner of Warner Avenue and Nichols Lane. The 1910 Mission and 1910 Manse structures were hidden from public view, directly behind the 1934 Church structure.

 

LEFT: A portion of the official ALTA survey conducted for the Historic Wintersburg property in 2004 by a licensed surveyor. The survey map shows two distinct structures for the 1910 Mission and the 1910 Manse, each also noted separately as two of the six historic structures at Historic Wintersburg in the City of Huntington Beach General Plan. An ALTA survey is a detailed land parcel map, showing all existing improvements of the property, utilities, and significant observations, and must be signed on the document by the licensed surveyor with the name of the engineering firm. The ALTA survey for Historic Wintersburg is a public document of the City of Huntington Beach. (City of Huntington Beach, ANACAL Engineering Co., November 9, 2004)

• Also to clarify, all six structures at Historic Wintersburg are designated as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in the City of Huntington Beach General Plan, which is a higher designation than a local landmark. There were six structures; there are now only four. The 1910 Mission (church) and the 1910 Manse (parsonage) were lost to fire of unknown origin on February 25, 2022.
  

 

RIGHT: The 1910 Wintersburg Japanese Mission (at right) and the 1910 Manse (parsonage) within the first few months of opening. Both were old growth redwood structures. The 1910 Mission was moved 95 years ago to the east of (left side) of the smaller 1910 Manse to provide congregants with more parking space along the dirt road now known as Nichols Lane. (Courtesy of Wintersburg Church, March 8, 1910) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 

   Regarding the HBFD and HBPD stating there is "no evidence of a hate crime," that is a technical distinction which we understand.

 

• To clarify, there have been numerous reported online hate incidents and a few threats including anti-Asian hate targeting the Historic Wintersburg preservation project and myself personally that have been reported to the Huntington Beach police since 2016. One of those threats stated they would "burn it [Historic Wintersburg] f-ing down to a cinder."

 

• Republic Services was notified about online anti-Asian hate targeting Historic Wintersburg and referencing them by name and remained silent. They did not disavow it.
  

 

• The purpose of the multi-year online and public anti-Asian hate was a tactic to intimidate and discredit preservationists. Without local leaders speaking against this targeted hate, this environment can empower a property owner to continue their lack of care and lack of security for the property with what appears to be intentional demolition by neglect.

 

LEFT: An electrical meter on the south side of the 1910 Wintersburg Japanese Manse, photographed during a property inspection with then-owner Rainbow Environmental. This was pointed out to Rainbow Environmental, with questions about whether there was live electrical to shuttered buildings. This was prior to the installation of smart meters on the shuttered buildings. (Photo, M. Urashima, September 30, 2011) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 

There is a record of written notifications to the property owner and City of evidence of trespassing, vandalism, break-ins, damage to buildings, removal of parts of structures, removal of artifacts from structures, and fire risk (lack of tree trimming and weed abatement) for the past decade, since 2011. These notifications frequently were met with no response.

 

LEFT: One of the incidents reported to Republic Services in 2017. The fence was cut and pried open on the northern end of the property, facing Warner Aveune. This was large enough for a person to enter the property. (Photo, M. Urashima, February 13, 2017) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 

BELOW RIGHT: One of the incidents of trespassing and risk to structures reported on March 7, 2017. The boarding on the 1934 Wintersburg Japanese Church was removed by transients and the building was left open. Inside the building was clothing and debris, and a Bunsen burner. (Photo, M. Urashima, March 7, 2017) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 

BELOW: Concerns such as this electrical "smart meter" were pointed out to then property owner Rainbow Environmental and later to Republic Services, who announced their purchase of the property on October 1, 2014. Prior to this property inspection on October 2, 2014, Southern California Edison had entered the property to remove older meters and install smart meters on both the shuttered 1913 Furuta bungalow and the shuttered 1910 Wintersburg Japanese Manse. Both structures had been shuttered prior to the purchase of the property by Rainbow Environmental in 2004, ten years earlier.

 

The meters were raised as a fire risk to Rainbow Environmental on October 2, 2014, and later to Republic Services, with questions about whether there was live electrical to obviously shuttered buildings. 

 

This property inspection was conducted with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and expert preservation architects to develop a report on structural stabilization priorities. It was scheduled prior to Republic Services purchase, which was announced the previous day. (Photo, M. Urashima, October 2, 2014) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 

 

   One of the remaining concerns is the environment that was created during the public online anti-Asian social media concurrent with ongoing "demolition by neglect" and lack of security at the property. These are root causes for the fire for which questions still remain.

© All rights reserved.  No part of the Historic Wintersburg blog may be reproduced or duplicated without prior written permission from the author and publisher, M. Adams Urashima. 

Support and solidarity: Voices that must be heard

   This Saturday's rally and press conference is organized by the Japanese American & Asian American community in support of and in solidarity with the effort to save and preserve Historic Wintersburg.

   We are deeply moved by the support.

   There has been an alarming increase nationwide in hate incidents and attacks against Asian Americans, an 1800% increase in hate incidents motivated by anti-Asian hate reported at the end of 2021 by Orange County Human Relations.

   There also has been an increase nationwide in vandalism and arson at Asian American places of worship over the past two years, including six Buddhist temples in Orange County. The Wintersburg Japanese Mission was founded in 1904 by both Buddhists and Christians. Acts of hate, vandalism, negligence, and destruction touch us all.

   More are signing on every day from around the United States to add their name.

   Elders will be participating in this peaceful gathering.  ️

   It is important these voices be heard.

   Thank you to all who are organizing and participating this Saturday. Our deep gratitude for your support and our solidarity with the larger message about the harm and pain caused by hate. We stand together.

© All rights reserved.  No part of the Historic Wintersburg blog may be reproduced or duplicated without prior written permission from the author and publisher, M. Adams Urashima. 

Update: The loss of two 1910 structures of the Wintersburg Japanese Mission

 

ABOVE:  The 1910 Manse (parsonage) of the Wintersburg Japanese Mission, in 2014 just prior to the purchase of Rainbow Environmental by Republic Services. The Mission effort was founded in 1904 in Orange County. The first couple to live in the Manse was Reverend Joseph K. Inazawa and his wife, Kate Alice Inazawa, née Goodman. Their marriage was illegal due to California's anti-miscegenation laws. They eloped to New Mexico to marry, then returned to California to take up residence as the clergy for the newly opened Wintersburg Japanese Mission. (Photo, M. Urashima, October 2, 2014) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

*Updated March 10, 2022

[Huntington Beach, California]—Shortly before 9 am, Friday, February 25, there was notification of a fire at endangered National Treasure Historic Wintersburg, located at Warner Avenue and Nichols Lane in Huntington Beach, California. Community preservationists have worked since 2012 to save and preserve this property, which holds over a century of nationally significant Japanese American history.

A fire of unknown origin destroyed the 112-year-old manse (parsonage) of the 1910 Wintersburg Japanese Mission. The nearby 1910 Wintersburg Japanese Mission was lost to demolition a few hours after the fire. Both historic structures were demolished within a few hours of the fire before the investigation was completed and the investigation is ongoing per the City of Huntington Beach. 

LEFT: The 1910 Manse is located at the far left of this image, with the 1910 Wintersburg Japanese Mission near it at left. The Barn, circa 1908-1913, is at right. The field of nopale (prickly pear cactus) is not original to the property and planted by employees of Rainbow Environmental Services, formerly Rainbow Disposal. (Photo, M. Urashima, February 13, 2017) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 

The Historic Wintersburg property was named one of America’s Most Endangered Historic Places in 2014 and designated a National Treasure in 2015 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Preserve Orange County named Historic Wintersburg one of Orange County’s Most Endangered Historic Places in 2017. In recent years beginning in early 2016, Historic Wintersburg was targeted with anti-Asian hate, social media harassment and threats, prompting police reports filed with the City of Huntington Beach Police Department. 

 We do not want to share publicly all the language and graphics used--particularly those with images of private individuals--in order to not amplify the hate they represent and respect the privacy of those targeted. We share some examples here to help readers understand the types of things being posted online. It appears the online publications and social media were locally generated and circulated in Huntington Beach.

RIGHT: Online and social media included a blog, "The Sledgehammer," with a masthead graphic including the old Rising Sun flag of Japan, a World War II era Japanese zero airplane, and a person taking a sledgehammer to it. The Anti-Defamation League explains the hammer symbol has been appropriated by neo-Nazis and other white supremacists. The Hammerskins or Hammerskin Nation were one of the most prominent American white power skinhead groups and utilized the hammer symbol. (Graphic, The Sledgehammer, August 2017) 

LEFT: Posts and graphics from The Sledgehammer were regularly shared on social media, primarily in Huntington Beach. The use of Japanese imagery and rhetoric repeats the rhetoric and graphics used during World War II which conflated Americans of Japanese ancestry with the actions by Japan, aka the "fifth column." The intention of propaganda then, as it is with social media today, is to separate and demonize a specific group. (The Sledgehammer, January 27, 2018)

RIGHT: Almost daily blog and social media posts indicated monitoring of Historic Wintersburg. When the China Alley Historic District in Hanford, California, (also named one of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2011) published information about Historic Wintersburg to support the preservation of Asian American heritage sites on February 7, 2018, a blog post by The Sledgehammer the next day included a stereotypical image and dismissed the historic recognition by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Taoist Temple in the China Alley Historic District was heavily damaged by fire in May 2021, Asian American Heritage Month. Hanford, California police were able to identify and arrest the arsonist by June 2021. (The Sledgehammer, February 8, 2018)

LEFT: The Sledgehammer blog also included "merchandise" with World War II era anti-Japanese references, photo shopping preservationists into graphics. The merchandise also included items referencing person conversations with a representative for Rainbow Environmental. Four days after this was posted on January 31, 2018, The Sledgehammer posted an image of the preservation project leader being tied to a railroad track to be hit or killed with a sledgehammer. The post contained a caption referencing fire, "we'll burn it f-ing down.....to a cinder." (The Sledgehammer, January 27, 2018)

   All six historic structures at Historic Wintersburg are listed in the City of Huntington Beach General Plan historic and cultural element as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, which automatically places Historic Wintersburg on the State of California list of historic and cultural resources. This then triggers a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review of any action on the property and its structures.

BELOW:  In 2018, The Sledgehammer established and linked to a Go Fund Me for a plaque at Historic Wintersburg (with the assumption it would be demolished) with a prototype that there were "unremarkable buildings" and "some Japanese people lived here." There were reports to Go Fund Me and the the fundraiser was taken down. Historic Wintersburg also has never used Go Fund Me. On February 28, 2022, after the fire, we again received reports that there was mention of a Go Fund Me for Historic Wintersburg and we posted a statement to our followers that it was not legitimate. Historic Wintersburg has never used Go Fund Me. (The Sledgehammer, January 28, 2018)

   With local and national partners, the Historic Wintersburg community preservation group has engaged since 2012 Rainbow Disposal and in 2014 new owner Republic Services in discussions to purchase the property for historic preservation purposes. Republic Services has publicly stated to the media they would work with the community effort on the sale for historic preservation purposes but have disengaged the past two years.

Preservationists raised $30,000 in funding to conduct an outside review in 2015 by a multi-party panel of historic preservationists, city planners and economic/business professionals—including participation by Rainbow Environmental Services-Republic Services—to demonstrate adaptive re-use options to save the property and prevent its demolition and development. 

Months after that analysis, Rainbow Environmental Services=Republic Services reached legal settlement with the Ocean View School District, in which the school district won a favorable decision. The settlement agreement legally encumbered the property in perpetuity, changing the circumstances and restricting development.  

LEFT: The 1910 Manse (parsonage) as it looked in 1991. At that time the property was occupied and maintained. The Manse still retained its glass windows and doors, and was secured. (Photo courtesy of Douglas McIntosh, November 1991) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

As a result of a 2016 legal settlement agreement between the Ocean View School District—which has a preschool and elementary school adjacent to Historic Wintersburg—and Rainbow Environmental Services-Republic Services, there are land use encumbrances on the Historic Wintersburg property that prevent its development and safeguard the property for historic preservation. City of Huntington Beach planning requirements also impose restrictions that hinder development. The Ocean View School District owns land adjacent to the Historic Wintersburg property, including the entirety of Belsito Street to the south and land and/or right-of-way on adjoining and nearby streets. The school district has expressed support for the full preservation of Historic Wintersburg.

The encumbrances imposed by the legal settlement agreement and the restrictions imposed by City planning requirements for ingress, egress and offsite improvements result in the property being undevelopable for commercial, industrial or residential use. Additionally, outside experts in appraisal of and planning for complicated historic properties do not consider the Historic Wintersburg property developable other than as a heritage park with museum type uses.

RIGHT: One of the instances of lack of adequate security reported to Rainbow Environmental Services-Republic Services during an inspection of the property with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Trust for Public Land, and a representative for Rainbow Environmental Services-Republic Services. Boarding had been removed from the 1934 Wintersburg Japanese Church building and there was evidence of clothing, food and miscellaneous debris, and a flammable Sterno can (center of image). In another onsite visit in 2012, Rainbow Environmental Services was alerted to a can of kerosene in the front room of the 1912 Furuta bungalow. (Photo, M. Urashima, March 7, 2017) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 

Over the past decade, the community preservationists have contacted Rainbow Environmental Services-Republic Services repeatedly to provide more security and regular maintenance of the property, which has experienced vandalism, tagging, trespassing to steal items, and trespassing to enter the buildings for shelter. During inspections of the property, items such as a can of kerosene and Sterno cans have been found inside buildings and brought to the attention of Rainbow Environmental Services-Republic Services for removal. 

LEFT: The Historic Wintersburg preservation volunteers arranged for thousands of dollars worth of tree trimming and brush clearance by Tsuzuki Enterprises--a licensed and professional landscaper with commercial equipment and crew--at no cost to Rainbow Environmental Services-Republic Services. The work was covered under proof of million-dollar liability coverage. Its purpose was reduce risk to the structures and property, and to prevent fire risk. This later was offered again, along with trash cleanup and tagging removal, with no response from Rainbow Environmental Services-Republic Services. (Photo, M. Urashima June 8, 2016) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 The community previously provided thousands of dollars’ worth of tree trimming and brush removal—at no cost to Rainbow Environmental Services-Republic Services—to remove vegetation that put not just the six historic structures at risk, but also the adjacent homes, and the Oak View preschool and elementary school. 

RIGHT: The 1910 Wintersburg Japanese Mission as it appeared in 1991. The hedge row was maintained, there was glass in the windows and the property and its structures were being maintained. (Photo courtesy of Douglas McIntoch, November 1991) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

As recently as two weeks before the fire on February 25, Rainbow Environmental Services-Republic Services and City of Huntington Beach leaders were contacted in writing with photo documentation about vandalism and lack of security and maintenance at Historic Wintersburg. They did not respond.

LEFT: The demolished remains of the 1910 Wintersburg Japanese Mission and 1910 Manse two days after the fire. (Photo, M. Urashima, February 27, 2022) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

The Historic Wintersburg Preservation group, and partners Preserve Orange County and Heritage Museum of Orange County, call upon Republic Services and community leaders in Huntington Beach and Orange County to take action to save and preserve this rare and significant National Treasure historic place. Historic Wintersburg is endangered and two of the six structures designated as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places are gone forever. We are calling for a thorough arson investigation.

Individuals and organizations with the Japanese American community are calling for:

1) an arson investigation,  

2) the right of Japanese Americans to collect ash and remains or artifacts from the two buildings to honor the heritage and history of a sacred site, and  

3) action by the City of Huntington Beach to bring Rainbow Environmental Services-Republic Services back to the table in genuine negotiations to allow the purchase of the property by preservationists and museum professionals partnered with Historic Wintersburg for the purpose of historic preservation as a heritage park.

A partial list of those sending letters to the City of Huntington Beach calling for the actions above include:

• Japanese American National Museum (Los Angeles)

• Japanese American Citizens League (Washington, DC) 

• Japanese American Confinement Sites Consortium (national) 

• Japanese American Memorial Pilgrimages (national) 

• 50 Objects/50 Stories of the American Japanese Incarceration (national) 

• Poston Community Alliance (Poston, Arizona, confinement site) 

• Little Tokyo Historical Society (Los Angeles) 

• Heart Mountain Foundation (Wyoming confinement site) 

• Friends of Minidoka (Idaho confinement site)

• Minidoka Pilgrimage (Idaho confinement site)

• Historical Museum at Fort Missoula (Montana) 
  

• South East Los Angeles North Orange County (SELANOCO) chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (California) 

• Tuna Canyon Detention Station Coalition

• Tule Lake Committee
  

• Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation (APIAHIP) 
  

 We will continue to update as things progress.

© All rights reserved.  No part of the Historic Wintersburg blog may be reproduced or duplicated without prior written permission from the author and publisher, M. Adams Urashima.