Chinese immigrants made the Weaverville Chinatown their home in the late 1800’s. More than 2000 Chinese men lived and worked here as gold miners, cooks, builders, and loggers. The Chinatown encompassed two blocks including the Joss house, the oldest in America, and one of two remaining Chinese-built, rammed-earth structures in California.
Both the Joss house and fire station buildings are in the center of town, and located across the street from one another. The bank next to the fire station has a plaque placed in front that dedicates the area to the Chinatown and the fires that destroyed all but the Chinese-built, earth-rammed building.
The rammed-earth structure served as the fire station of Weaverville in 1910 until 1949, and it has survived numerous fires. It has since been reinforced to maintain the structural integrity of its materials.
City: Weaverville
State: California
ZIP: 96093
Submitted by: Felicia Luna
Additional Features:
Chinatown