Chung Wah Cemetery
Also known as: Sze Yup--Sam Yup Cemetery
Why it's listed
On a bluff near Lake Natoma in Folsom, California, a 2.616-acre burial ground holds the traces of the town's Chinese community. Used by members of the Sze Yup and Sam Yup associations, the cemetery was deeded to the Chung Wah Company in 1906, although burials there date back at least to 1871 and probably earlier. It has no formal layout. Between 75 and 100 earthen mounds lie at irregular angles among exhumation pits, with a burning pit inside the gate, a brick-lined vault, and the foundation and partial walls of a shrine used for Ch'ing Ming ceremonies. Vandals desecrated the site in 1967 and destroyed the shrine. Dredge tailings and native oaks still surround it, and it remains secluded. It was listed for its ethnic heritage and religious associations, as the last visible reminder of a community that once numbered in the hundreds. The last burial took place in 1946, ending roughly forty years of use under association ownership.
Significance in brief: It is the last visible reminder of Folsom's once-large Chinese community and reflects the district association ties kept up into the twentieth century. It keeps burial mounds, exhumation pits, a burning pit, a vault and a shrine foundation that show Chinese spiritual practices. Its high physical integrity and its ethnic and historical associations support its significance under Criterion A.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 95000999, listed August 21, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Mormon St. vicinity, near Lake Natoma, Folsom |
|---|---|
| County | Sacramento County |
| Listed | August 21, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000999 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1906 - 1946 |
| Architectural style | OTHER/shrine; OTHER/vault |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Asian, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still a cemetery. The site is overgrown and untended, and a shrine vandalized in 1967 survives only as a foundation and partial walls. |
| Acreage | 2.6 |
| Coordinates | 38.67031, -121.19641 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 95000999.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5116341
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.