Isleton Chinese and Japanese Commercial Districts

The Isleton Chinese and Japanese Commercial Districts is located in Isleton, California in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, a large agricultural area in Sacramento County, California. Also known as the Isleton Asian American District, it served as the commercial and social center for both the town's Chinese and Japanese residents and the laborers working in nearby canneries, farms, and ranches. Isleton Asian American District is the only Asian community built in the Delta during the 1920s, and the architectural style of the buildings in the districts, particularly the use of pressed tin siding, is unique to other Delta Asian communities and to the town of Isleton.

Isleton Chinese and Japanese Commercial Districts
Isleton Chinese and Japanese Commercial Districts is located in San Francisco Bay Area
Isleton Chinese and Japanese Commercial Districts
Isleton Chinese and Japanese Commercial Districts is located in California
Isleton Chinese and Japanese Commercial Districts
Isleton Chinese and Japanese Commercial Districts is located in the United States
Isleton Chinese and Japanese Commercial Districts
LocationBounded by River Rd. and Union, E and H Sts., Isleton, California
Coordinates38°9′45″N 121°36′18″W
Area6 acres (2.4 ha)
Built byAdams, Noah Lumber Co.
Architectural styleChicago, Commercial Style
NRHP reference No.91000297[1]
Added to NRHPMarch 14, 1991

Isleton's Chinese and Japanese Commercial Districts, while sharing a main street, were considered two distinct areas. They were listed as one historic district on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. The listing includes 41 contributing buildings on 6 acres (2.4 ha),[1][2][3] including a building used by the Bing Kong Tong at 29 Main Street.[4]

Having over 50 original buildings that were built after a fire on May 30, 1926, the two block segment of Main Street was primarily divided; the Japanese-Americans owned homes and businesses on one side while the Chinese-Americans used the other.[5]

After the internment of Japanese-Americans, the area never reclaimed its former multi-ethnic population.

  • Chinese Laborer’s Memorial Pavilion at Isleton City Park
    Chinese Laborer’s Memorial Pavilion at Isleton City Park
  • Isleton Chinese and Japanese Commercial Districts main street
    Isleton Chinese and Japanese Commercial Districts main street
  • Chinese-style building
    Chinese-style building
  • Bing Kong Tong Society building
    Bing Kong Tong Society building
  • Bing Kong Tong Society Building restored for Isleton Museum
    Bing Kong Tong Society Building restored for Isleton Museum
  • Interpretive sign for Bing Kong Tong Society building
    Interpretive sign for Bing Kong Tong Society building
  • Chinese-style buildings. The one on the left has traditional tin siding.
    Chinese-style buildings. The one on the left has traditional tin siding.
  • Historic tin siding on building. Pressed tin was used to fire proof many of the wooden buildings after the 1926 fire.
    Historic tin siding on building. Pressed tin was used to fire proof many of the wooden buildings after the 1926 fire.
  • Brick building with second-story balconies typical of buildings in the Chinese section.
    Brick building with second-story balconies typical of buildings in the Chinese section.
  • Hotel Del Rio
    Hotel Del Rio

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Isleton Chinese and Japanese Commercial Districts". National Park Service. and accompanying photos
  3. "Isleton Chinese and Japanese Commercial Districts". Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage. National Park Service. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  4. "Restoration efforts under way to restore Isleton's Bing Tong Kong building". East Bay Times. Bay Area News Group. March 5, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  5. Mattons, Eric (February 2, 1991). "3 County Sites on Verge of Joining Historical List". The Sacramento Bee. p. B1.
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