{"nrhp_refnum":"79000493","name":"China Camp","other_names":["China Camp State Park"],"category":"district","location":{"address":"247 N. San Pedro Dr.","address_restricted":false,"city":"San Rafael","county":"Marin County","state":"CA","lat":38.00113594800004,"lon":-122.46178438685916,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-04-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Prehistoric","Commerce","Historic - Non-Aboriginal","Exploration/Settlement","Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"China Camp is a historic district on the southwestern shore of San Pablo Bay near San Rafael, Marin County, California, made up of two coves, an intervening ridge and adjacent tide land. It holds the remains of a Chinese shrimp fishing village founded in the 1860s and a Native American shellmound.","why_significant":"The nomination presents China Camp as one of the largest Chinese shrimp-fishing settlements in California and the last operating vestige of that fishery in the state. Its structures, artifacts and archeological remains reflect traditional Chinese fishing technology and lifestyle brought from the Pearl River delta. The shellmound, used by Coast Miwok Indians, adds scientific value as one of few surviving Bay Area mounds.","narrative":"China Camp is a former Chinese shrimp-fishing village on San Pablo Bay near San Rafael, now part of a California state park. The district takes in two coves, a ridge between them and nearby tide land. Chinese fishermen began taking shrimp in California around the mid-1860s, and China Camp was well established by the late 1860s. The 1870 census counted 77 male fishermen, and by 1880 the population was 469, supported by general stores, a marine supply store and a barber shop. Surviving remains include a shrimp-drying shed, a pier, a grinding shed inside the camp store, former houseboats, sampan hulls on the seabed, drying platforms, kettles and machinery. Though weathered and altered, the buildings keep their historical integrity. A prehistoric shellmound used by Coast Miwok people lies on the ridge, damaged but still of scientific interest. The place is described as the last operating remnant of the state's Chinese shrimp fishery.","period_of_significance":"1865-1925","architect_builder":"Chinese Shrimp Fishermen","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Owned by the State of California as a state park. Historic structures are deteriorated, at least two are in danger of collapse, and the pier is unsafe for general use. The state plans to preserve the significant structures, and one fisherman still operates from the pier and buildings.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:31.855883-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/79000493.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79000493/5c20d5fea6-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79000493/5c20d5fea6-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Sanfranman59","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:China_Camp_247_N_San_Pedro_Rd_San_Rafael_CA_3-21-2010_4-39-54_PM.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Sanfranman59</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:China_Camp_247_N_San_Pedro_Rd_San_Rafael_CA_3-21-2010_4-39-54_PM.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123859662","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Camp_State_Park","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1073221"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/marin-county/china-camp-79000493/"}