Honoring and Preserving the Past Through Architecture

It’s a lonely place, an old farm on private property, tucked away in the Sierra Nevada. What’s special about it and why did the American River Conservancy purchase the land just north of Placerville? What brought volunteers, historians, artists, and an architect to gather for an outdoor celebration despite an impending winter weather advisory and ominous, dark clouds rolling in?

The answer to these questions begins in 1868, Japan. A small group of those on the losing side of a civil war fled their homes in search of a new land to carry on their way of life. After braving a voyage across the Pacific Ocean, twenty-two immigrants including 17-year-old Okei Ito, arrived at a ranch soon dubbed the Wakamatsu Silk and Tea Farm.

The first three Japanese families planned to be joined by 120 more families on the farm, but due to the ongoing unrest at home in Japan, no further immigrants came. The farm faced insurmountable obstacles and Okei never took to the unfamiliar land. It is said she would climb the hill each evening, to look out across the rolling fields as she longed for the Pacific Ocean and wept for home.

In 1871, Okai fell ill and tragically became the first Japanese immigrant to be buried in the United States. Her friend, Matsunosuke Sakurai, commemorated Okai with a granite headstone on her hillside grave. The inscription reads: "In Memory of Okei, Died 1871. Aged 19 years.

In time, the site became a pilgrimage destination, attracting visitors who often trespassed to pay their respects. The American River Conservancy purchased the land in 2010. Today, Wakamatsu Farm is still private property, but the ARC hosts visitors nearly every day. With the volume of events and guests at the farm, the conservancy needed more space to host visitors, while also honoring and preserving the site’s heritage. They invested in a new Outdoor Learning Center, a pavilion-style structure, and selected design firm Architectural Nexus to create the plans.

The historical significance of the site was not lost on Principal Architect, Peter McBride. The Outdoor Learning Center pays homage to the past by combining architectural elements and materials such as Japanese-style burnt cedar along with working farm barn elements, a gabled roof, and exposed trusses and wood. “In a serendipitous turn of events, barn owls have since taken a liking to the pavilion” shares McBride.

The mission of the American River Conservancy is to preserve natural areas and cultural resources and build an enduring ethic of care, building a sustainable future for humans in harmony with nature. Wakamatsu Farm and its recent addition are a testament to their continued success.