Locke Boarding House

Located 30 miles south of downtown Sacramento, Locke is the only town in the United States built exclusively by and for Chinese immigrants in the early 1900s.

ARG rehabilitated the Locke Boarding House to serve as a museum and home for the Locke Foundation. Many obstacles were overcome in preserving its modest, delicate character while also providing structural, mechanical and accessibility upgrades. Particular attention was paid to deteriorated wood elements, including reinstallation of metal patches historically used to cover holes in the siding. The site is now a unit of the California State Park system that is operated in partnership with The Locke Foundation.

WHAT YOU WON’T SEE

ARG implemented a new, highly efficient ground source heat loop system for the Locke Boarding House – the same used on the Yosemite Employee Housing project.

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All three of our disciplines came together on this project – architecture, conservation, and historical planning. The project started with research into the history and architectural materials of the building, culminating in a detailed Historic Structure Report that served to guide the rehabilitation process.

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The town of Locke was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990.

A new restroom building was designed and built adjacent to the Boarding House for public use. It was designed to be compatible with the vernacular character and idiom of the town.

For the Locke Boarding House award page, please click HERE.

Photography courtesy of ARG

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