The National Trust for Historic Preservation released their 2013 list for the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in the U.S., which includes the Rancho Cucamonga Chinatown House. For those who aren’t familiar with the site, the two-story building was home to about 50 Chinese American laborers in 1919, as well served as a general store. The Cucamonga Valley Water District, who owns the property, was recently given the order from the city to correct some structural issues with the abandoned house. There is a current push for the house to be demolished, but there are some organizations who have banded together to try and save the property, known as the Chinatown House Preservation Coalition.
According to the organization, it’s been noted that the house is perhaps one of the last of the once-thriving Chinese enclaves in the Inland Empire and the rest of Southern California. The LA Times reported, “Advocates hope to repair the dilapidated structure and turn it into an educational space, highlighting not only Chinese American history but also agriculture and the expansion of the American West.” The coalition is also trying to raise money (over $1 million) to restore the site.
