Preserving the Harada House

Lisa Masengale, Curator of Historic Structures for the City of Riverside’s Museum Department, will discuss the importance of the Harada House to Japanese American history and their ongoing work to conserve, restore, and stabilize the building. The house was the focus of a critical application of the California Alien Land Law of 1913, which prevented foreigners who were ineligible for citizenship from owning property. The state of California attempted to seize the property from the family in California v. Harada, but the Haradas ultimately won the case and retained ownership of the house. In 2020, Harada House was named one of the most endangered historic places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

This is part one of three of the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation’s Advances in Preservation & Archaeology of Asian American Places lecture series. All events are free, via Zoom. Register for the webinar here >>