President's Message
Upcoming Event: Webinar
Building a Strong Relationship with Your Municipality
Guest Speaker: John Curtis, Martinez Historical Society
August 28, 2014 from 11:00am - 12:00pm
REGISTER NOW!
CCHS Member: $25, Non-Member: $40
Become a CCHS Member
CCHS Membership Benefits
Never participated in a Webinar? Don't worry - we'll make it easy! Click here for more information.
John D. Curtis is a management consultant who is also the current president of Main Street Martinez, the downtown economic revitalization organization in the City of Martinez, California. He is the president of the Martinez Historical Society, which manages the Martinez Museum, also in Martinez, California. He is a former financial manager with Bechtel Corporation, the nation’s largest construction and engineering company.
Upcoming Event: Fall Symposium
Sonoma County, CA
October 23 - 25, 2014
REGISTER NOW!
CCHS Member: $225 (Early Bird Rate thru 9/12/14), Non-Member: $250 (Early Bird Rate thru 9/12/14)
Become a CCHS Member
CCHS Membership Benefits
You won't want to miss the Fall Symposium which includes venues that the Conference of California Historical Societies has never been! Program highlights include a tour of the Japanese Buddhist Temple to gain a better understanding of Japanese farmers before and after World War II, Western Sonoma County history honoring the Pomo Indians, and our first ever trip to Fort Ross. While at Fort Ross, we will see the Call House, the Fur Warehouse and the Rotchev house. There will also be plenty of time to enjoy the Fort and all it has to offer at your leisure. Registration now open!
Enmanji Temple Building
The unique building now used as the main worship hall was originally built by the Manchurian Railroad Company and used as part of their exhibit hall at the Chicago World's Fair in 1933. After the close of the Fair the building was donated to the Buddhist Mission of North America and through the efforts of Bishop Masuyama was subsequently offered to the members of the Sonoma County Buddhist Temple. The members were able to receive the building provided they could finance the cost of transporting by rail the dismantled building to Sebastopol. A committee headed by Mr. Tomotaro Kobuke was selected to undertake the endeavor.
On January 26, 1934 groundbreaking ceremonies were held to reassemble and reconstruct the building on its present site. Constructed without the use of nails, the project required the skills of several local craftsmen. Finally, on April 15, 1934, dedication services were held for the finished building.
The style of the building is important in that it faithfully represents a 12th century Kamakura-style Japanese temple. The roof structure, in particular, is representative of Buddhist temples from that era. The interior decor and bright colorful Chinese motif paintings were remodeled to adapt to the Buddhist shrine which is presently situated at one end of the building. The entire building seats approximately 150 people.
