{"nrhp_refnum":"09000397","name":"Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony Farm","other_names":[],"category":"site","location":{"address":"941 Cold Springs Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Gold Hill","county":"El Dorado County","state":"CA","lat":38.767494405000065,"lon":-120.88257297902854,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2009-10-09","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Asian","Exploration/Settlement","Agriculture"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 54.3-acre rural farm site at 941 Cold Springs Road in Gold Hill, El Dorado County, California, about 2 miles south of Coloma. It includes a farmhouse possibly dating to 1856, a barn, a pond and agricultural fields.","why_significant":"The site is argued to be the location of the first permanent settlement of Japanese immigrants in the continental United States, occupied by the Wakamatsu colonists from 1869 to 1871. The colonists introduced sericulture and tea farming, marking the beginning of Japanese influence on California agriculture. The surrounding landscape retains remarkable integrity, and the nomination argues for national significance under Criterion A.","narrative":"This farm in Gold Hill, El Dorado County, about two miles south of Coloma, was the site of the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony. In 1869 agent John Henry Schnell bought the land and buildings from Charles Graner on behalf of Matsudaira Katamori, and Japanese colonists planted mulberry trees for silk and tea plants. They occupied the farm until 1871. A wood-framed two-story farmhouse, possibly dating to 1856, and a barn remain, along with a keaki tree the colonists planted, volunteer mulberries and a small pond they dug for fish culture. Fields still surround the buildings, and the setting closely matches an 1883 lithograph. The property is described as one of the oldest in North America tied to permanent Japanese settlement. It is also noted as the place where the first child of Japanese immigrants was born in the United States. Francis Veerkamp bought the land in 1873, and his descendants have farmed it since.","period_of_significance":"1869-1871","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"No style - farmhouse vernacular","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Still in agricultural use as pastureland and farm; the house exterior retains excellent integrity, the barn has been remodeled, and the original mulberries have died, with 10-12 volunteers remaining.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:29.685489-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/09000397.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/09000397/7fec9b3d32-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/09000397/7fec9b3d32-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"NoeHill","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Site_of_Wakamatsu_Tea_and_Silk_Farm_Colony_December_2013.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">NoeHill</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Site_of_Wakamatsu_Tea_and_Silk_Farm_Colony_December_2013.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123858629","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wakamatsu_Tea_and_Silk_Farm_Colony","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11616376"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/el-dorado-county/wakamatsu-tea-and-silk-colony-farm-09000397/"}