It looks like the next puff of wind off the Delta would blow it over, but the historic Bing Kong Tong building in Isleton is tenacious and now it’s about to be rebuilt with $600,000 in grants.
To kick off the first phase of repairs, Isleton held an ancient Chinese blessing of the building with costumed manned “animals” with accompanying dramatic drums on Monday, March 3. Pioneers and business leaders in the Delta community told with great emotion why this historic structure, rebuilt after a 1926 fire, means so much to them.
Roger Chinn, former resident and president of the Tong Association, spoke about how the building has a lot to do with the significance of our country. “When you think about the Chinese and how they came to be a part of the country, this is part of it,” he said.
“My grandfather came here and started the Tong in 1903 — 111 years ago -- along with one in Stockton and another one in Walnut Grove. He was a born American in San Francisco — one of the few Chinese who could speak English. He became the person you talked to who got things done with the Chinese community,” Mr. Chinn said.
He told the group gathered in front of the building for the ceremony that the building was vacant when his grandfather convinced the San Francisco Tong to buy it. “The bottom floor was a Chinese language school that we all attended. Through the years this building became a place where people could come and talk to people to get things done to help each other. The basics for our relationship with the rest of society rest with buildings like this,” Mr. Chinn said.
Jean Akiko Yokotobi, owner of the 25 Main Street Deli sandwich shop, said she arrived in Isleton in 1963. “When I came here I was introduced to the Chinn family and they became my second parents. I remember this building called the Tong Building at that time. Through 51 years I’ve seen the building deteriorate. Parts fell off and it was really sad. Through the years Isleton started fading as well with less resources to rebuild these kinds of structures.
Charles Hasz, of the Isleton Merchants’ Association, told the behind the scenes story of how the grants materialized. It is a lesson in perseverance for every community and even for small business people.
He said the first $100,000 came from the California Cultural & Historical Endowment, a state entity tasked with preserving and protecting California’s cultural heritage and part of the California Natural Resources Agency, when Mimi Morris was the head librarian for the state of California. She helped them get blueprints done and succeeded to get $100,000 from the C.C.H.E. A second grant of $141,000 was granted by the same C.C.H.E., but at that time, they only had $100,000 to give for the stabilization phase, Mr. Hasz said.
LaShelle Dozier, executive director for the Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency, said it wasn’t just a building to be rehabbed — “It was the connection to the community.” She said they figured out a way to use community development block grant funds that helped make up the $340,000 difference needed.
Mimi Morris, now executive officer of the California Cultural Historical Endowment fund, another major star in helping to obtain $140,000 of the grants to date, said most people don’t know much about her organization. She said it has provided $122 million throughout the state for 150 buildings to preserve California’s cultural heritage.
“Keeping heritage sites like this alive is really important to distinguish California from any other place in the nation,” she said.
When the Bing Kong Tong building rehabilitation is completed, it will be used as a museum and community space for the city.
Lions bless the Bing Kong Tong historic building in Iselton, CA that is undergoing stabilization "surgery" from Gene Beley on Vimeo.