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Photograph of Sam Choy Brick Store
Photograph by Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Sam Choy Brick Store

Built in 1860 (Neoclassical architecture). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. 13 historic topographic surveys show this location, the earliest from 1889.

From the record

“The Sam Choy Brick Store, Angels Camp, California, is the only building remaining from a large Chinese settlement during the California gold rush. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.”

Wikipedia article Sam Choy Brick Store, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 16 National Register listings published here for Calaveras County · listed in 1984 · category: Building · built in 1860, Neoclassical architecture.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

  • What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
  • Listed as. Choy, Sam, Brick Store - the National Register files a house under its owner's surname.
  • Address. Bird Way, Angels Camp, 95222
  • When was it listed? September 1984
  • Category. building
  • Census division. Angels City
  • When was it built? 1860
  • Architectural style. Neoclassical architecture
  • National Register reference number. 84000759 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Then and now

1889 to 1993

The ground this property stands on, surveyed 104 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.

Topographic sheet covering Sam Choy Brick Store, surveyed 1993
Topographic sheet covering Sam Choy Brick Store, surveyed 1889

Fires near this property

325 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 325 fires within 5 miles of Sam Choy Brick Store between 1992 and 2020, burning about 6,162 acres in total. 17 started naturally. 31 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined117
Equipment and vehicle use89
Debris and open burning44
Arson/incendiarism31
Natural17
Power generation/transmission/distribution11
Smoking9
Recreation and ceremony4
Misuse of fire by a minor3

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
9 September 2011Naturalunder an acreTuolumne-Calaveras UnitBLUFF
9 September 2002Arson/incendiarismunder an acreCentral California DistrictPARROTS
9 September 1998Naturalunder an acreTuolumne-Calaveras UnitLIGHTNING 4
9 September 1993Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresTuolumne-Calaveras UnitPOAG
8 September 2004Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreCentral California DistrictNATURAL BRIDGES
8 September 1999Arson/incendiarism3.0 acresTuolumne-Calaveras UnitROLLERI
7 September 1997Missing data/not specified/undetermined15 acresTuolumne-Calaveras UnitCAMP
6 September 2012Natural7.5 acresTuolumne-Calaveras Unit2-7

Every fire recorded in Calaveras County

Mines and quarries near this property

10 of 566 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 566 workings within 5 miles of Sam Choy Brick Store: 218 past producers, 203 occurrences, 103 unknowns, 35 producers. 36 still produce. What was taken out: Gold, Silver, Manganese, Copper. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
AltavilleGold, PlatinumProducerStream Placer
Angels Camp Deep MineGold, Silver, MolybdenumPast ProducerGold, Molybdenite, Silver
Carson CreekGold, Silver, ZincPast ProducerGold, Silver, Tetrahedrite
DepositsLimestone, DimensionOccurrence
Iron RockSilicaUnknown
McquigGold, LeadPast ProducerGalena, Gold, Pyrite
PeiranoGold, StonePast ProducerGold, Soapstone
PonderosaIronOccurrence
Radium No. 1UraniumOccurrence
Stanislaus MineSilver, MercuryOccurrenceGold

Every working recorded in Calaveras County

Maps showing this location

13 surveys

United States Geological Survey topographic sheets whose coverage includes this point. Matched by taking the coordinate the National Park Service records for this property, then testing that coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Photograph PropertyDistance Listed
Calaveras County Bankunder 500 feet1985
Utica Mansion0.2 miles1984
Angels Hotel0.4 miles1972
Altaville Grammar School1.6 miles1979
Douglas Flat School5.7 miles1973
Murphys Hotel6.2 miles1971

Sources for this property

National Archives recordThe nomination case file for reference 84000759 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia articleCommunity-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Calaveras CountyAll 16 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

  • Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
  • Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
  • How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.