March 03, 2016

Transitions: Saved—Bing Kong Tong

  • By: Geoff Montes

In each Transitions section of Preservation magazine, we highlight places of local and national importance that have recently been restored, are currently threatened, have been saved from demolition or neglect, or have been lost. Here's an updated one from Spring 2015.

Originally a Cantonese language school and meeting hall, the 1926 Bing Kong Tong building in Isleton, California, fell out of use in the 1970s after the town’s Chinese population dwindled. The Isleton Brannan-Andrus Historical Society acquired the derelict property in 1994 and devised a three-phase plan to preserve it as a museum. Phase 1 lasted from April 2013 to September 2014 and entailed stabilizing the foundation and structure and restoring the facade. According to the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency, which helped manage and finance the project, Sacramento County has allocated $600,000 for Phase 2. Currently in the final design stages, plans for the interior include an elevator in addition to basic heating, plumbing, and electrical needs. Phase 2 is expected to be completed during this summer, after which a museum dedicated to the history of Isleton and the Bing Kong Tong society will be installed.

Exterior shot of the Bing Kong Tong building

photo by: David Wakely

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