A note from China Alley: Preservation Noodles

ABOVE: An image of  "Preservation Noodles" from The Sentinel's "Hanford Gourmet", Arianne Wing, in Hanford, California.  She sends a message to Historic Wintersburg that, "In Chinese culture the unbroken noodles represent longevity. I also wanted to acknowledge the passion we feel as preservationists and to feed our fire. But I also wanted a cooling note signifying unity and positive engagement." (Photo, The Sentinel, Hanford Gourmet, February 7, 2018) 

   From California's historic China Alley, a message for Historic Wintersburg in Huntington Beach, from the Hanford Gourmet, Arianne Wing.  Wing is the co-author of “Noodles Through Escargots,” and co-owner of the L.T. Sue Tea Room and Emporium, benefiting the restoration and preservation of China Alley.  

LEFT: Arianne Wing, owner of the L.T. Sue Tea Room and Emporium in China Alley, in Hanford, California. China Alley was named one of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2011. (Photo, The Sentinel, Hanford Gourmet, February 7, 2018)

   "For a few of my family members, and for Steve and me, our labors of love place us in a community, in a village of individuals and groups dedicated to preserving and protecting historical sites of incalculable worth and grave vulnerability. Read the Historic Wintersburg blog (historicwintersburg.blogspot.com) to learn how our voices can save this historic place that tells a story of California Japanese American history. This place matters. Thinking of it turned into rows of storage units brings tears to my eyes again. I’ll do what I can, as will others, many of whom have multiple preservation priorities. The question of whether it will be enough rings in my ears."

Read Arianne Wing's column, Preservation Noodles, at: http://hanfordsentinel.com/features/local/hanford-gourmet-preservation-noodles/article_338c718e-d233-506d-baaa-4ba50556ec50.html#tracking-source=home-latest-1 

Read about China Alley on the National Trust for Historic Preservation website at: https://savingplaces.org/places/china-alley#.Wnudt-dG2M8

 © 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.

Preserve OC Wants to Save Orange County's vanishing landmarks: Historic Wintersburg

ABOVE: The 1912 Furuta bungalow at Historic Wintersburg, one of six extant structures that have survived the past century on the former goldfish and flower farm, also home to the Wintersburg Japanese Mission.  The six structures on the four and a half acre farm include: the 1912 Furuta bungalow, the Furuta barn (circa 1908 - 1912), the 1947 post-WWII Furuta house, the 1910 Wintersburg Japanese Mission, the 1910 manse (parsonage), and the 1934 Great Depression-era Wintersburg Japanese Church. (Photo, M. Urashima, 2016) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

   "They stand as windows to the past, reminding us of our triumphs and warning of our trespasses." 
                  Historic Preservation Group Wants to Save Orange County Landmarks, Los Angeles Times, November 16, 2017

   Read the feature in the Los Angeles Times about the urgent effort to save Orange County's disappearing history. Among the significant, endangered historic places on the list for nonprofit Preserve Orange County: the National Treasure Historic Wintersburg.

   "Though their histories hold important dictums for society, their walls can be under siege in a region defined by unyielding development. But a new organization, Preserve Orange County, hopes to combat the industrial colossus from devouring history."

   Read the Los Angeles Times feature by Ben Brazil: http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-wknd-et-preserve-oc-20171116-story.html

© 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. 

Historic Wintersburg named one of Orange County's Most Endangered historic places

   Preserve Orange County was founded in 2016 by Orange County residents who identified a need for a central organization concerned with historic preservation in the County. As a nonprofit organization, their mission is to work through education and advocacy to promote conservation of Orange County’s architectural and cultural heritage. 

   Preserve Orange County believes that "historic resources are essential to maintaining and improving the livability, diversity, sustainability and economic vitality of our communities. Our goal is to strengthen the work of local activists and volunteers with county-wide support, and increase awareness throughout the county of our shared built heritage."   

LEFT: The Sexlinger Orchard and its 1914 bungalow in Santa Ana is considered "one of the region’s oldest unaltered orange groves" and is included with Historic Wintersburg as one of the County's Most Endangered.  The land was acquired by the Sexlinger family in 1913, three years after the Wintersburg Mission opened its doors.  Only a handful of the original 500 citrus trees on the five-acre parcel remain today, even though the property had received historic designation by the City and after the Old Orchard Conservancy offered to purchase the property for historic preservation.  Demolition occurred in May 2016, during national Historic Preservation Month.  The property--expected to retain only 16 citrus trees after residential development--remains endangered.  (Photograph courtesy of Los Angeles Times, Christina House, "One of O.C.'s last orange groves gets historic designation", June 6, 2012)

   "Orange County’s built environment is made up of historic resources (buildings and landscapes) that date from the late 1700s when Native American and European people made contact and permanent settlements were established," explains Preserve Orange County. "Each era since has left us with reminders of who lived here, and how they contributed to Orange County’s success. Early on there was Mission San Juan Capistrano, and Los Rios Street, the oldest continuously-occupied residential street in California."

RIGHT: The view from the 1794 Montanez Adobe in the Los Rios Historic District of San Juan Capistrano.  The Montanez Adobe was restored by the City of San Juan Capistrano and the County of Orange, and is now part of a historic park in the Los Rios neighborhood.  The San Juan Capistrano Historical Society is currently restoring the Silva Adobe nearby.  (Photograph, M. Urashima. February 13, 2016) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

   "The county has two National Landmarks considered to have significance for the entire nation, Arden- the Helena Modjeska House and Gardens- and the Richard M. Nixon Birthplace," notes Preserve Orange County.  "But these recognized sites are just the beginning: Orange County has been in continuous development for 240 years and has hundreds of historic places, most of which are not yet recognized or protected."  

    Historic Wintersburg has been included on the list of six historic places deemed by Preserve Orange County to be Orange County's Most Endangered.  Historic Wintersburg is the oldest on the list, representing well over a century of both Orange County history and significant American history.

   In 2013, the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service inspected Historic Wintersburg and followed up with a report stating the property is potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A, Japanese American Settlement of the American West.    

LEFT: The 1912 Furuta bungalow is one of six historic structure at Historic Wintersburg, the majority being over a century old. The property retains three structures for the Wintersburg Japanese Mission, founded in 1904, and three structures of the Furuta Gold Fish Farm. The Furuta barn is the last pioneer barn in Huntington Beach. (Photograph, M. Urashima. April 18, 2014) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

   The National Trust for Historic Preservation was formally established through an Act of Congress signed by President Harry S. Truman in 1949, directing the the Trust to acquire and preserve historic sites and objects of national significance and provide annual reports to Congress on its activities.  Congress furthered the importance of saving places important to American heritage by passing the National Historic Preservation Act in 1966.

RIGHT: Initials carved into the side of Pacific City Hall, 122 Main Street, the oldest wooden structure in the original township and the site of the founding of Huntington Beach. The majority of the structure was demolished in 2016. The Pacific City Hall building was moved to the Main Street location by or before 1903 by Phillip Stanton, prior to the involvement of Henry Huntington in 1904. Just prior to its demise, it was a gelatto shop.  The upstairs floor was remarkably untouched and retained its rustic pioneer quality. (Photograph, M. Urashima. April 8, 2015.) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 

   The eligibility of Historic Wintersburg for the National Register of Historic Places was confirmed by the City of Huntington Beach historic resources survey conducted by Galvin Preservation Associates and received by the Huntington Beach City Council in 2014, http://www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/files/users/planning/Historic_Context_and_Survey_Report_Final_Draft.pdf.
   

LEFT: Gold glass from the 1934 Wintersburg Japanese Church was installed in windows flanking both sides of the structure during the Great Depression, a time when stained glass manufacturing dropped significantly in the United States due to cost.  Like the 1910 Mission, the local farming community raised funds to construct the Church building.  The gold color of the poured glass is thought to symbolize light or the presence of enlightenment. (Photograph, M. Urashima. October 24, 2016) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

   In June 2014, Historic Wintersburg was named one of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, based in Washington, D.C., https://savingplaces.org/collections/11-most-endangered-2014#.WdUtNNEXSM9   It remains the first and only historic place in Orange County to make the list of America's 11 Most Endangered.

   In 2015, Historic Wintersburg was designated a National Treasure by the
National Trust for Historic Preservation, one of less than 100 National Treasures in the United States, https://savingplaces.org/places/historic-wintersburg#.WdUs3dEXSM9.  Historic Wintersburg remains the first and only historic place in Orange County deemed a National Treasure.

   Is the 21st Century the moment where Orange County begins to recognize and save more of its unique heritage? Once lost, the historic places that anchor us with a "sense of place", community memory, and civic pride can never be recreated.

   Learn more about Preserve Orange County and support their mission to help "promote the conservation of Orange County's architectural and cultural heritage" at https://www.preserveorangecounty.org/

ABOVE: Tattered volumes inside the Orange County Archives in Santa Ana contain the statistics of the County's pioneers, each one of them representing a unique, mostly untold story. Very few sites remain where today's generation can visit the authentic places that share the history and contributions of Orange County's pioneers. (Photograph, M. Urashima. 2014) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

© 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. 

ON THIS DATE: 2012 Rafu Shimpo feature, "Remembering Wintersburg"

 
   We've come along way since the Historic Wintersburg Preservation Task Force's first fund raiser in December 2012!  On this date, the Rafu Shimpo, Los Angeles Japanese Daily News, published a beautiful feature on our historic preservation effort and the remarkable history represented by Historic Wintersburg.  

   Read the feature by J.K. Yamamoto at http://www.rafu.com/2012/12/remembering-wintersburg/

LEFT: Furuta family descendant, Norman Furuta, speaks at the press conference announcing the designation by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to the America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Place list.  The list brings national attention to rare American historic sites, asking for public support. (Photo, M. Urashima, June 24, 2014) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


   Since that time, we achieved listing on America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places; a History Press book, Historic Wintersburg in Huntington Beach; a PBS program about the Furuta family of Historic Wintersburg, Our American Family: The Furutas; a National Treasure designation, conducted some initial stabilization work, and conducted cultural monitoring relating to street work next to the property.  We'll be posting photographs of the some of the cultural finds on a future blog post.

RIGHT: Kevin Sanada (left) and Christina Morris (right) from the Los Angeles field office for the National Trust for Historic Preservation on one of their first inspections of Historic Wintersburg.  This tour occurred after our second application to be considered for America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.  (Photo, M. Urashima, May 14, 2014) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

    The National Park Service and National Trust for Historic Preservation have both inspected the property and deemed it of "remarkable integrity", a property that can meet the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A: Japanese American Settlement in the American West.  Both organizations stated that the six historic structures on the Furuta farm can be restored.  

   At the end of 2015, Historic Wintersburg was designated as Orange County, California's first and only National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, https://savingplaces.org/places/historic-wintersburg#.WExwIVx5LkZ  There are approximately 60 National Treasures in the United States.

LEFT: Elaine Jackson Retondo and Hank Florence of the U.S. National Park Service during their inspection of Historic Wintersburg on May 24, 2013.  The NPS followed up with a written report that stated: " It is likely that the property is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A in association with Japanese American Settlement in the American West or other patterns of events that have made important contributions to the history of the United States." (Photo, M. Urashima, May 24, 2013) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


    We have presented lectures about Historic Wintersburg at the Japanese American National Museum, the National Trust for Historic Preservation conference, Heritage Museum of Orange County, Little Tokyo Historical Society at the Koyasan Buddhist Temple, and California State University Long Beach, to name just a few.  

RIGHT: Inside the Koyasan Buddhist Temple in Little Tokyo, downtown Los Angeles, one of the beautiful settings for a presentation about Historic Wintersburg.  (Photo, M. Urashima, October 4, 2014) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

   We have been honored to be invited to the Consulate General of Japan residence for the annual reception for the Emperor's birthday, as well as to the U.S.-Japan Council conference this year.  We were honored to take a delegation from our Sister City of Anjo, Japan, on a tour of Historic Wintersburg.  We hope for many more international friendships and cultural exchanges regarding our shared history.

LEFT: A delegation from Huntington Beach Sister City, Anjo, Japan, takes a tour of Historic Wintersburg with members of the Historic Wintersburg Preservation Task Force. (Photo, September 11, 2015) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

    We have been part of important events and efforts relating to this history: the annual Manzanar Pilgrimage, the Day of Remembrance at the Japanese American National Museum, the Tuna Canyon Detention Station "Only the Oaks Remain" fundraiser for their traveling exhibit, the traveling Smithsonian exhibit, "Journey Stories" at the Heritage Museum of Orange County, assistance for the construction of a historical fire station for Manzanar, and volunteering for public archaeology at Manzanar. 

   Every one of our sister organizations and individual mentors has contributed to our support and understanding of this work. We thank you.

RIGHT: Historic Wintersburg helps out at a public archaeology dig at Manzanar National Historic Site, with the National Park Service.  Listen and read KQED's feature about the archaeological dig at http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/07/26/uncovering-the-buried-history-of-a-japanese-american-internment-camp/ 
(Photo courtesy of National Park Service, July 4 weekend, 2015) © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

    Major community stakeholders now know more about the history and support---indeed, they fight for---the preservation of Historic Wintersburg.  We currently are in productive and positive discussions with the City of Huntington Beach and Republic Services (which bought prior property owner Rainbow Environmental).  We appreciate their efforts to work for a good resolution for the National Treasure Historic Wintersburg.

    We have come a long way these past four years toward saving this history! More good news ahead!

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.   

NATIONAL TRUST ANNOUNCES AMERICA'S 11 MOST ENDANGERED HISTORIC PLACES 2014

AN AMERICAN PIONEER STORY: Artist's rendering of the Yukiko Yajima and Charles Mitsuji Furuta bungalow, from the photograph shown on masthead above, March, 1913.  (Artwork by Huntington Beach resident Barbara Haynes, a member of the Historic Wintersburg Preservation Task Force and Huntington Beach Historic Resources Board, June 2014.) © All rights reserved.

   Historic Wintersburg is pleased and humbled to announce we are one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places for 2014.

NATIONAL TRUST ANNOUNCEMENT:

Washington (June 23, 2014) – Today, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, http://www.preservationnation.org/, named Historic Wintersburg in Huntington Beach, Calif. to its 2014 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/11-most-endangered/. This annual list spotlights important examples of the nation’s architectural, cultural and natural heritage that are at risk of destruction or irreparable damage. More than 250 sites have been on the list over its 27-year history, and in that time, only a handful of listed sites have been lost.

Historic Wintersburg documents three generations of the Japanese American experience in the United States, from immigration in the late 19th century to the return from incarceration in internment camps following World War II. The site contains six extant pioneer structures and open farmland, and is one of the only surviving Japanese-owned properties acquired prior to California’s anti-Japanese “alien” land laws of 1913 and 1920. In contrast to Japanese American confinement sites from the World War II era, Historic Wintersburg captures the daily community life and spiritual institutions of Japanese settlers as they established a new life in America.

“Historic Wintersburg is a unique cultural site that tells the important story of early Japanese American immigrants as they sought to make a new life and build a community in Southern California,” said Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, “We strongly support a collaborative effort that preserves Wintersburg’s historic landscape while building upon its longstanding role as an educational and supportive space for the Huntington Beach community."

The site also chronicles the multigenerational story of the Furuta family, Japanese pioneers who cultivated a farm for close to a century, helped establish Japanese civic and business development organizations, and are a largely unrecognized part of Orange County’s history.

The property is currently owned by Rainbow Environmental Services (Rainbow), a waste transfer company. In November 2013, the Huntington Beach City Council voted 4-3 to certify an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), which rezones the property from residential to commercial/industrial. The Council also approved a Statement of Overriding Consideration—the action which allows demolition of all six structures. Although Rainbow agreed to provide preservationists until mid 2015 to find solutions to save the historic property, demolition of the site remains a possibility.

Members of the public are invited to learn more about what they can do to support these 11 historic places and hundreds of other endangered sites at http://www.preservationnation.org/

 
The Wintersburg Japanese Presbyterian Mission and manse with congregation in 1910, the year both structures were completed.  The rendering is based on a historical photograph depicting this scene. The actual Mission was a brushed white, while the manse was a classic red iron oxide stain. (Artwork by Huntington Beach resident Barbara Haynes, a member of the Historic Wintersburg Preservation Task Force and Huntington Beach Historic Resources Board, June 2014.) © All rights reserved.

The 2014 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places (in alphabetical order):

Battle Mountain Sanitarium –Hot Springs, South Dakota. Battle Mountain Sanitarium has provided medical care to veterans in the region for more than a century, and is one of the few properties owned by the Department of Veterans Affairs to be designated a National Historic Landmark. Today, the VA is moving forward with a proposal to abandon the facility.

Bay Harbor’s East Island – Miami-Dade County, Florida. Bay Harbor’s East Island’s collection of Miami Modern buildings are threatened with demolition by development proposals.

Chattanooga State Office Building – Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Chattanooga State Office Building, a midcentury landmark in the heart of downtown, is threatened with demolition by its new owner.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Spring House - Tallahassee, Florida. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and constructed in 1954, Spring House is the only built private residence designed by Wright in the state of Florida, and its novel "hemicycle" form is one of very few surviving homes that Wright designed in this style. Weather and the ravages of time have deteriorated the building.

The Wintersburg Japanese Presbyterian Mission, 1910. Photo courtesy of Wintersburg Presbyterian Church. © All rights reserved.

HISTORIC WINTERSBURG - Huntington Beach, California. Historic Wintersburg is a Japanese American pioneer property with several existing structures that tell the story of Japanese American immigrants in Southern California, and is now threatened by demolition.

Mokuaikaua Church - Kailua Village, Kona, Hawaii. Mokuaikaua Church, completed in 1837, is Hawaii's first Christian Church and is at risk from both earthquake damage and natural wear and tear.

Music Hall - Cincinatti, Ohio. A National Historic Landmark, Music Hall has played a significant role in the cultural fabric of Cincinnati since it was built in 1878. Today, it is deteriorating and in need of extensive repairs.

The Palisades - Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Several generations have cherished the scenic Palisades cliffs along the Hudson River. Despite its designation as a National Historic Landmark, the LG Corporation plans to build an office tower along the cliffs in New Jersey, forever altering the landscape.

Palladium Building - St. Louis, Missouri. The Palladium Building housed a nightclub in the 1940s that - although restricted to a whites-only clientele - played a prominent role in the development of African American music. It now faces an uncertain future because it is not protected by local or national historic designations.

Shockoe Bottom - Richmond, Virginia. Once a center of slave trade in America, Shockoe Bottom was home to Solomon Northup's jail in "12 Years a Slave" and contains numerous underground artifacts. The site is threatened by potential development of a minor league baseball stadium.

Union Terminal - Cincinnati, Ohio. Union Terminal, an iconic symbol of Cincinnati and a world-class example of Art Deco architecture, is suffering from deterioration and is now in need of extensive - and costly - repairs.

Watch Status:

Federal Historic Tax Credit - Nationwide.  The Federal Historic Tax Credit, a proven tool to encourage preservation across the country, is currently threatened by tax reform on Capitol Hill.

America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places has identified more than 250 threatened one-of-a-kind historic treasures since 1988. Whether these sites are urban districts or rural landscapes, Native American landmarks or 20th-century sports arenas, entire communities or single buildings, the list spotlights historic places across America that are threatened by neglect, insufficient funds, inappropriate development or insensitive public policy. The designation has been a powerful tool for raising awareness and rallying resources to save endangered sites from every region of the country. At times, that attention has garnered public support to quickly rescue a treasured landmark; while in other instances, it has been the impetus of a long battle to save an important piece of our history.

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Watch for Historic Wintersburg's goldfish, representing the pioneer goldfish farm history of Historic Wintersburg.  (Artwork by Huntington Beach resident Barbara Haynes, a member of the Historic Wintersburg Preservation Task Force and Huntington Beach Historic Resources Board, June 2014.) © All rights reserved.

  As we move forward, we ask the country's help to save this rare historic place, an American heritage site and civil liberties icon rich with cultural identity and many more stories to tell.  When the Wintersburg Mission was founded in 1904, small donations from around Orange County helped build what became the heart of the pioneer Japanese American community. Today, donations from around the country can help us save Historic Wintersburg for future generations.

   Thank you to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  We are grateful for your partnership in our efforts to save America's pioneer history.

   Join us TUESDAY, JUNE 24, at Huntington Beach's Red Table Restaurant! A percentage of your dining bill is donated to the Historic Wintersburg Preservation Fund. 

DONATE to the Historic Wintersburg Preservation Fund and help us save a precious historical site!  Go to http://www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/i_want_to/give/donation-wintersburg.cfm

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Historic-Wintersburg-Preservation-Task-Force/433990979985360

Historic Wintersburg author and preservation task force chair, @SurfCityWriter on twitter.

© 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.