The California Preservation Foundation just selected the Fiddletown Project Team with a 2009 Preservation Design Award in the preservation category this week. The c. 1850 Chinese Gambling Hall and General Store are part of a grouping of four buildings specifically associated with Chinese miners from the Gold Rush. Along with the Chew Kee Herb Shop and a rammed earth residential structure nearby, these structures constitute a significant sub-district that reflects Chinese gold-era history. Both structures are National Register listed for their contributions to the assemblage of Gold Rush-era structures in Fiddletown, California.
Both the Gambling Hall and General Store are unreinforced masonry and stone buildings. While they have survived nearly 150-years, their overall condition was quite poor, requiring significant structural stabilization and seismic upgrading. Large cracks from seismic movement and settling were evident and visible in pictures dating back to the 1930s.
The Fiddletown Preservation Society has been working since 2001 to preserve the two endangered buildings and raised funds from private donations and small grants to augment those received from California Heritage Fund (Proposition 12) and CCHE (Proposition 40). The overall goal of the project was to stabilize and preserve the buildings while potential uses are explored. Since 2005, Garavaglia Architecture has been involved with the project as a Preservation Architect. For more information and images on this project, also see the Fiddletown entry in the timeline in the year 1850.
The completion of this project serves as a major milestone to preserve these rare examples of the Chinese presence during the gold-rush era. The award will be officially given at the CPF Preservation Design Awards ceremony in September. Congratulations to the entire team.