SACRAMENTO — The California State Historical Resources Commission considered 15 nominations for federal historic designation and 13 nominations for state historic designation on Aug. 14.
Due to the pandemic, the meeting was not held at a publicly accessible location, but the public was able to view the meeting via CAL-SPAN or by registering for attendance via Zoom.
Properties considered at the meeting include the following:
National Register of Historic Places Nominations
Vernon School (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in California multiple property submission), Verona, Sutter County
Established as a gateway to the gold fields, Vernon (later Verona) became a fishing village populated by Native Hawaiians brought to California by John Sutter as laborers. The 1863 building just north of the confluence of the Feather and Sacramento rivers was constructed in a simplified Folk Victorian style of wood boards nailed to a wood frame, on wood piers with concrete footings. A community resource, the schoolhouse was also used for church services and other meetings. Vernon School is nominated under cover of the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in California, 1850-1970 Multiple Property Submission.
Nisei VFW Post 8985 (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in California multiple property submission), Sacramento, Sacramento County
The one-and-two-story International Style building located in downtown Sacramento was designed by A.E. Kimmel and Roy Swedin. The building was constructed as the Flower Garden, a restaurant operated by Black entrepreneur Phelix Flowers, and also functioned as a lodge for African American Elks Club members. In 1954, the building was purchased by Sacramento’s Japanese American Citizens League for use as a VFW post established by Japanese American veterans. The property is nominated under cover of the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in California, 1850–1970 Multiple Property Submission.
Also nominated are the Chicano Moratorium marches of 1969 and 1970 in Los Angeles and East Los Angeles, which drew attention to the historic contributions of the Latino community to the U.S. military in past wars and to the domestic issues affecting the Chicano community.
For a full list and description of nominees, visit ohp.parks.ca.gov/pending
California Historical Landmarks Nominations
Harada House (Riverside, Riverside County)
This two-story residence was built sometime before 1887 and purchased in 1915 by Jukichi Harada, a Japanese immigrant. The house became the subject of a 1918 landmark Superior Court decision granting the Harada family the right to own the property, challenging an anti-immigrant and racist property ownership law that forbade immigrants from Asia from owning property in California. The property is a National Historic Landmark and is significant for its association with Jukichi Harada, who had a profound influence on the history of California.
The California Historical Landmarks nominations include a series of landmarks associated with the Ohlone-Portolá Heritage Trail in San Mateo County, which are all associated with the October-November 1769 expedition of Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portolá through Ohlone territory, and the expedition’s interactions with the Ohlone people. This common historic context provides updated documentation and geographical information regarding the expedition, and the Ohlone’s critical role in the success of Portolá’s journey.
For a full list and description of these properties, visit ohp.parks.ca.gov/pending
Notices and agendas for commission meetings are available online 10 days before a meeting at ohp.parks.ca.gov. The public may present oral statements at the hearing at the appropriate time. Inquiries and written comments on the agenda may also be emailed to the Office of Historic Preservation at calshpo@ohp.parks.ca.gov or submitted via mail to Julianne Polanco, State Historic Preservation Officer at Office of Historic Preservation, P.O. Box 942896, Sacramento, CA 94296-0001.
General inquiries on the commission are handled by Twila Willis-Hunter. She may be contacted via phone at (916) 445-7052 or at the same mailing address given above.
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