Historic Wintersburg, Huntington Beach
“Historic Wintersburg” represents over a century of Japanese immigrant and Japanese American history and settlement of the American West. The 4.5 acre property, once the home of the C.M. Furuta Gold Fish Farm and the Wintersburg Japanese Mission, today consists of four structures: the 1912 Furuta house and barn, the 1934 Presbyterian Mission Church and the 1947 Furuta house. Historic Wintersburg is recognized nationally as a rare, pioneer-owned property with intact physical features that convey the progression of three generations of Japanese American history in Orange County: immigration of the Issei from Japan in the late 19th century, restrictions on immigration and marriage, the exclusion and discrimination of California’s Alien Land Laws, the incarceration of Americans of Japanese descent during World War II, and the return to California to recover lives after World War II confinement. In 2014, Historic Wintersburg was named one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places and in 2015 it was designated a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington, D.C.
Preservation in Action
Thanks to the decade long effort of Huntington Beach resident Mary Adams Urashima, who died in 2022, the tangible reminders of Wintersburg history are still extant. Mary brought attention to the site’s importance through her research, writing and leadership of the Historic Wintersburg Preservation Task Force. It was through Mary’s efforts that the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Park Service, Preserve Orange County and the broader community became engaged in the site’s protection and ultimately shared in her vision for its future as a heritage park.
Establishing a Dedicated Charity
Emboldened by Mary’s example, in 2023 task force members and others took on the mantle, re-started talks with the property owner, Republic Services, and established the Historic Wintersburg Conservancy. Preserve Orange County supported the new organization with technical expertise and acted as a fiscal sponsor so the Conservancy could begin to fundraise while seeking federal tax-exempt status.
Phase One of Achieving the Vision
The vision for Historic Wintersburg is “to provide a green space for the community where all cultures are celebrated. It is a peaceful destination of pilgrimage to honor our past and to build our future. Programming will focus on cultural heritage and agricultural history to lead future generations to a place of understanding.” On the road to achieving the vision, the Conservancy is engaged in phase one of building awareness through public outreach; grant writing and fundraising; negotiating with the owner to acquire the property; seeking designation on the California Register of Historical Resources and the National Register of Historic of Historic Places; stabilizing and securing the structures and landscape; and developing a long-term feasibility study for a heritage park.
Support the Wintersburg Historic District National Register Nomination
November 24, 2024— The National Register of Historic Places is the nation’s official list of historic places worthy of preservation because of their significance to American history, architecture, archeology, engineering and culture. The register recognizes resources of local, state, and national significance which have been documented and evaluated according to uniform standards and criteria.
The Historic Wintersburg Conservancy has nominated the Wintersburg Historic District to the National Register for its association with a thriving agricultural community with a significant concentration of Japanese residents in the early decades of the twentieth century. In addition to the distinction of being listed on the National Register, the designation will open up opportunities for grants and tax incentives to assist with the site’s preservation and development as a heritage park. Click here to access the draft nomination prepared by Historic Resources Group.
To pay for the nomination preparation, Historic Wintersburg raised money from a GoFundMe campaign and received an Aratani C.A.R.E. Award but we still need $5,000! If you support our vision and think that Historic Wintersburg is worthy of national recognition, please consider donating any amount today on our GiveButter page by clicking the DONATE button below.
Thank you for your support!
Aerial view of the 4.5 acre Historic Wintersburg site with Warner Avenue to the north and Nichols Lane to the west. The photograph shows each of the historic buildings. The February 25, 2022 fire and demolition occurred to the pastor’s house and church #1 in the northwest corner. Photograph credit: 2012 Warner-Nichols EIR, City of Huntington Beach.
February 25, 2022. Courtesy of Patricia Singer.
1910 Buildings Destroyed in February 2022
Shortly before 9 am on Friday, February 25, 2022 a fire of unknown origin destroyed the 112 year old manse (parsonage) and mission church of the 1910 Wintersburg Japanese Mission. Both historic buildings were demolished within a few hours of the fire.
On several occasions in the months leading up to the fire, Republic Services was notified about the ongoing vandalism and poor maintenance of the property but the company never responded. Two weeks before the fire in early February, Wintersburg historian and preservation advocate Mary Adams Urashima contacted regional Republic Services manager Dave Hauser and other managers with Republic Services in writing with photo documentation about serious damage inflicted on the main entrance door to the 1934 mission church and the lack of security and maintenance on the property. No reply was received. For the past decade, Mary Adams Urashima contacted prior owner Rainbow Environmental and then, after their purchase of Rainbow in 2014, Republic Services, to notify them of vandalism, trespassing, and risk to the historic structures and the property. Community preservationists arranged for thousands of dollars worth of professional tree trimming and brush removal on the property at no cost to Republic Services as a good faith effort. Since 2014, the Historic Wintersburg preservation group with national partners has met with Republic Services local and regional management to discuss purchasing the property for historic preservation. Republic Services agreed both privately and publicly to the media to work cooperatively on this.
PANA Rally, March 19, 2022. Courtesy of Jason Foo.
Since December 2021, the Board of Trustees of Ocean View School District made efforts to contact local and regional leadership of Republic Services to inform them of a potential buyer for the property that intended to preserve the buildings and landscape, and to convey serious concerns about the neglect of the property. They specifically cited the risk to of fire due to the overgrown brush on the site. The company’s managers never responded.
Preservation Coalition Media Release
Letters from Japanese American Groups and City of Huntington Beach