The Fiddletown Preservation Society (FPS), in conjunction with Amador County, has been working since 2001 to preserve two endangered historic buildings built and/or used by Chinese immigrants who came to California in the 1850s. The early Chinatowns in the Sierra Nevada foothills where the Gold Rush began have mostly disappeared, leaving little trace of the people who contributed so much to California’s cultural and historic development.
The array of Chinese related buildings in Fiddletown is significant, because along with the Chew Kee Museum (an 1855 Chinese herb store), they represent the largest grouping of early Chinese buildings (1855-1865) remaining from a Gold Rush mining town.
The Chinese Gambling Hall and Chinese General Store are two rare and unique buildings associated with Fiddletown’s Chinese community. The precarious condition of both of these buildings impelled the FPS to embark on a campaign to raise funds to save them from collapsing.
Over $32,000 was garnered from private donations and small grants, augmenting two large grants: $203,200 received from the California Heritage Fund (Proposition 12) and $207,964 received from the California Cultural and Historical Endowment (Proposition 40).
We are proud to announce that necessary preservation work to stabilize and weatherproof the buildings started this summer (2008) in June. Expert masons are removing and replacing missing and eroding bricks, many of which were lacking mortar. Exterior corners and some walls are being dismantled and rebuilt. See photo gallery for work in progress Lumber cut from historic equipment will be used for reinforcement of roof and walls.
As with many building projects, damage is more extensive than anticipated. The FPS needs to raise an additional $37,000 by the end of December 2008.
To view pre and post construction pictures of the ROCS project click here