Historic Wintersburg

03/12/2026

The Story of Historic Wintersburg @ the Costa Mesa Historical Society . Come on down this Saturday @ 2 p.m.

Fresh from a major statewide historic designation, the Costa Mesa Historical Society is honored to present H. Ernie Nishii, President of the Historic Wintersburg Conservancy, for a timely and important speakers program. On January 2, 2026, Historic Wintersburg was officially listed on the California...

01/27/2026

For Immediate Release

PRESS CONTACT
Ernie Nishii
714-553-3663
[email protected]

RARE SET OF BUILDINGS IN ORANGE COUNTY IS LISTED ON THE CALIFORNIA REGISTER OF HISTORICAL RESOURCES

Huntington Beach, CA – Known commonly as Historic Wintersburg, on Jan 2, 202 t6he Huntington Beach property - the subject of years of community advocacy which is ongoing- was officially determined historic by the State Historical Resources Commission for its association with Orange County’s Japanese American history.

Nominated by the Historic Wintersburg Conservancy as the Wintersburg Historic District, the approximately 4.5-acre property consists of the Spanish Colonial Revival style Japanese Presbyterian Church of Wintersburg, constructed in 1934, and three buildings associated with C.M. Furuta farm- the Crafstman style Furuta House #1 and adjacent Furuta Barn, both constructed in 1912, and the Ranch style Furuta House #2, constructed in 1947.

The State Historical Resources Commission (SHRC), a nine-member body with members appointed by the Governor, is responsible for reviewing applications for listing historic and archaeological resources on the National Register of Historic Places, the California Register of Historical Resources, and the California Historical Landmarks and California Points of Historical Interest registration programs. These designations make up an official list of the state’s historic places worthy of preservation and public attention. HWC President Ernie Nishii remarked, “This is an incredible step as one of the only Japanese American Historic Districts in Orange County centered on church and farm life in early 1800’s and whose owners were incarcerated in World War II.”

The SHRC agreed with the nomination that Wintersburg is significant because:

it represents the surviving remnant of the former farming community of Wintersburg historically associated with Japanese settlement in the area in the early twentieth century and after World War II.

The SHRC also recommended Wintersburg to the National Register of Historic Places and although the federal authorities agreed formally that it met the qualifications, they announced on January 2, 2026 that the property would not be added to the National Register because the property owner did not consent to the action. Vice President, Ken Inouye noted, “We have done great things with the support of the Ocean View School District.”

The significance of Wintersburg and the interest in protecting it has long been acknowledged. In 2014, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named it one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places and designated it a National Treasure in 2015, yet the property remains endangered today. Due to nuisance issues affecting the school and community the Oceanview School district sued the property owner. Vacant for nearly two decades and never adequately secured, the buildings are in poor condition. In 2022, a fire led to the destruction of the original 1910 mission and parsonage leaving four of the six structures remaining.

Established in 2023, the Historic Wintersburg Conservancy is a tax-exempt charity carrying on the work of Huntington Beach resident and longtime Wintersburg advocate and historian, Mary Adams Urashima, who passed away in 2022. The conservancy board of directors is made up of residents from Orange and Los Angeles counties who share Mary’s vision of restoring the structures and rehabilitating the open land to create an historic park that is a tangible representation of the Japanese American past and provides a community amenity for the future.

Preparation of the nomination by Historic Resources Group of Pasadena was made possible with funding raised by the Historic Wintersburg Conservancy from hundreds of individual donors as well as the Aratani C.A.R.E. Awards. Donations towards the restoration of the buildings can be made here:

https://givebutter.com/Wintersburg

Send a message to learn more

12/27/2025

Historic Wintersburg Rings in 100 Years With a Sold-Out ‘Nomikai’ Sushi and Beer Celebration

Laughter, music, community spirit, and the aroma of fresh sushi filled St. Wilfrid’s Episcopal Church in Huntington Beach on Sept. 20 as Historic Wintersburg celebrated its 100th year anniversary with the unforgettable “Nomikai” sushi and beer-making fundraiser. The event drew an enthusiastic ...

09/17/2025

just a few more days to the fundraising event... Sushi and craft Beer @ St. Wilfreds Episcopal.

09/06/2025

The history of Wintersburg is AMAZING. This is an entry where the former migrant Japanese workers-- now churchgoers-are being asked to support the Grange. OUR history is people supporting people of different religions, races, cultures.-- Or.. there were two churches named Wintersburg.

08/26/2025

Tickets are still available for the HIstoric Wintersburg fundraiser - Join us for sushi and beer on September 20. Buy your ticket at: https://givebutter.com/Wintersburg

08/19/2025

Historic Wintersburg 100th Year Anniversary "Nomikai" Sushi and Beer Fundraiser - September 20, 5pm - 9pm

We invite all of our to attend our sushi fundraiser.

Greetings, and thank you for your interest in Historic Wintersburg.

We are excited to announce our first major fundraiser to help preserve this important cultural landmark. Please join us on Saturday, September 20, 2025 for an evening featuring beer and sushi. Doors open at 5:00 p.m and the meal service closes at 7 pm. Please indicate if you are Vegetarian or Vegan or any dietary restrictions.

RSVP by clicking on this link once you have selected your package from the flier below, pay by donating to https://givebutter.com/Wintersburg or send an email to: [email protected] with your name, phone, and package choice.

01/12/2025

Our friends at the LA Conservancy are fulfilling a crucial role of identifying the historic buildings and sites that have been destroyed by fire in LA County and they are asking the public to help. Follow these links if you know of an affected place. They also share relief resources.

01/05/2025

Happy new year 🥳 and thank you to all the people across California and elsewhere who donated to our GiveButter campaign! Because of your generosity, we are at 59% of our goal of $5,000.00 to support the National Register nomination of the fragile Japanese American site known as Historic Wintersburg. The nomination is long awaited recognition for this rare place that represents immigrant and civil rights history in southern California, and will help us unlock grants to preserve the structures. If you haven't already, please consider donating to the cause at https://givebutter.com/Wintersburg.

Help us obtain national recognition for this rare historic place in Huntington Beach, California

12/24/2024

Our vision for Historic Wintersburg 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.” On the road to achieving the vision, seeking designation on the National Register of Historic Places is just one urgent task immediately facing the Conservancy. The others include negotiating property acquisition; building public awareness; fundraising, stabilizing and securing the structures and landscape; and developing a long-term feasibility study for a heritage park. If you believe in our vision, you can help us by donating to

Help us obtain national recognition for this rare historic place in Huntington Beach, California

12/04/2024

Our vision for Historic Wintersburg 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.” On the road to achieving the vision, seeking designation on the National Register of Historic Places is just one urgent task immediately facing the Conservancy. The others include negotiating property acquisition; building public awareness; fundraising, stabilizing and securing the structures and landscape; and developing a long-term feasibility study for a heritage park. If you believe in our vision, you can help us by donating to https://givebutter.com/Wintersburg