The Historic Wintersburg Conservancy has submitted to be on the National Register of Historic Places and is set for approval on Feb. 5.

Historic Wintersburg in the Oakview neighborhood of Huntington Beach was one of the first Japanese American communities in Orange County, consisting of a church, 1912 farmhouse, manse, mission, barn, and 1947 ranch home. The 1910 manse and mission burned down in 2022.

Purchased in 1910 before the Alien Land Law of 1913, Historic Wintersburg includes one of the last standing original churches from that era as well as the site of the Furuta Goldfish Farm.

As the president of HWC, Ernie Nishii, noted, “This is a milestone. Building upon Mary Adams Urashima’s legacy, achieving nonprofit status, acquiring a Aratani C.A.R.E. grant, and submitting for historic places registry — things have moved fast. It is important for us to preserve the past to create a strong future.”

The Wintersburg Historic District showcases communities cooperating. Buddhists, Christians, and founders of Huntington Beach all worked together to enable this pre-war community to thrive. After World War II, like many other Japantowns across the West Coast, it was not sustained and almost forgotten until the late Mary Adams Urashima began to revive interest in the site.

The next step is to acquire funds to pay for a feasibility study and stabilize the remaining structures, which are fast crumbling and soon will be unsalvageable.

HWC’s vision 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.”

Submit inquiries to [email protected] and visit HistoricWintersburginHuntingtonBeach on Facebook. To make a donation, go to: https://givebutter.com/Wintersburg