Stockton - Washington Street

Informational page only, our practice is Residential Real Estate.

Over the last ten years, Stockton has attempted to address the issues affecting disinvestment downtown and wrestled with finding solutions. Many studies have been commissioned to analyze the market and develop strategies to revitalize downtown, and some gains have been made. Most recently the Downtown Alliance, a business improvement district scheduled to begin operation in January 1998 was established. However, with the California recession of the early 1990s and the complexity of the issues facing downtown, a workable strategy has not emerged to meet the scale of the challenge.

Nonetheless, it is clear that downtown Stockton offers much to build upon. Excellent highway access and visibility; the availability of vacant waterfront sites and large parcels to accommodate new development; and an impressive historic building stock, including the landmark Hotel Stockton, are just some of the physical assets the panel identified immediately. In addition, downtown Stockton has a concentration of government jobs, financial institutions, and public and private city leadership interested in the downtown.

The photos on this page are a collection of past and present.

125 E. Washington - On Lock Sam Chinese Restaurant - The original On Lock Sam was located at 125 East Washington Street between Hunter and El Dorado. It was started by an unknown person in 1898. Wong Sai Chun and two partners bought the existing business in 1920. Wong Sai Chun was from the K Wangtung Province of China. He chose Stockton, the "third city. " over the other cities in Central California, like San Francisco and Sacramento, for its overall size and probably because of the large and prosperous Chinese community he found here. On Lock Sam Company and Lee Yuen & Company were the two surviving historic businesses that originated on this block of Washington Street. The old restaurant was tom down in 1964 as part of the move to the new building at 333 South Sutter Street

108 E. Washington St - Canton Low - Demolished - Photos by Janice Louie Koster

148 E. Washington - Stockton Market - 1950s - Photo by Ron Chapman

Washington looking east from Center Street

203 E. Washington St - St. Mary's Church Parrish - This building was constructed ih 1905 as a retreat, study and place for meditation for the priest of the Saint Mary's Roman Catholic Church located next door. The 1917 Sanborn map shows a second parish located on the site. In 1950 the building was replaced with a one-story garage.

203 E. Washington St - St Mary's Church - California’s First Archbishop, Joseph S. Alemany, laid the cornerstone July 21, 1861. The first mass was celebrated Christmas Eve of the same year. In 1870 the transept was added. The present steeple and ornate façade date from 1893. Saint Mary’s is the oldest catholic parish in the San Joaquin Valley. The adjacent building was constructed in 1905 as a retreat, study and place for meditation for the priest of the Saint Mary's Roman Catholic Church located next door. The 1917 Sanborn map shows a second parish located on the site. In 1950 the building was replaced with a one-story garage.

129 S. Hunter St - St Francis House

300 Block E. Washington St. - County Welfare Building
330 - Valley Auto Parking - Demolished for County Welfare Building

  Agricultural Pavilion - Washington Square - Work started on the wood and glass agricultural pavilion in 1887 and was subsequently completed the following year. The building occupied a complete square block bounded by Lafayette, Hunter, San Joaquin and Washington, also called Washington Square. The construction cost was a grand $50,000. In the early morning of September 29, 1902, only twisted metal and rubble from a fire remained which destroyed the entire 39,000 sq. ft. pavilion and took the life of fireman Tom Walsh.

417 E. Washington St - Former Pacific Greyhound Bus Depot The building appears on the 1950 Sanborn map and is noted as the Pacific Greyhound Lines. Constructed in the 1930s, this building was originally the Greyhound Bus Depot. and played a major role in the transportation of the area. It remained as a bus station until 1969 when a new depot was constructed down the street. The building is currently occupied by a Chinese restaurant, and has been slightly altered from its original state, but still maintains much of its historic integrity

417 East Washington - Pacific Greyhound Bus Depot - Gan Chy Restaurant - The building appears on the 1950 Sanborn map and is noted as the Pacific Greyhound Lines. Constructed in the 1930s, this building was originally the Greyhound Bus Depot. and played a major role in the transportation of the area. It remained as a bus station until 1969 when a new depot was constructed down the street. The building is currently occupied by a Chinese restaurant, and has been slightly altered from its original state, but still maintains much of its historic integrity.

433-437 East Washington - Temple Ministries - Built in 1908 - Stockton City Directories list residential tenants in this building, known as the Alpine Apartments, by 1919 and through 1950, but show no record of which businesses occupied the ground floor spaces. The building has since been converted into a facility for the Victory Temple Ministries. It remains a good example of early 20th century local utilitarian commercial design and retains its original storefront detailing.

Washington and 141 South California Street - Yale Apartments - This building is listed at the Yale Apartments starting in the 1912 Stockton City Directory. Ground floor businesses present by 1930 Include Tassano Antonia Gents Furniture, Barber Stables, Mike West Tailor, the Home Wiring Company and a grocery. By 1935, the furniture store was replaced by a physician's office, and the wiring company by a restaurant. Wong. Ankai Herbs, a Chinese herbalist, also had a shop here. By 1940, ground floor businesses included. the physician, an antique shop, barber, music shop, restaurant, furniture store and an herbalist, who remained through 1950. In 1945, the Directory also listed Rex Novelty Vending Machines. By 1950, a watch repair shop replaced the clothier, and a bar replaced the cleaners'.

Click for Highway 99

4019 E. Washington St - Dentonini Variety - 1950

4032 E. Washington St - Trinity Christian Church / Former Seven Day Adventist Church

4043 E. Washington St - U.S. Market #2 / Wong Chong Huey Grocery (50)

E. Washington Street and Oro Avenue

150-302 N. Sinclair Avenue - Inland Valley Truss / Former Marley Company

E. Washington and 202 S. Sinclair

4939 E. Washington St - at Walker Lane - Walkers Pizza - At one time it was called Okie Dokie

4940 E. Washington St - Washington Market

5104 East Washington St - Family Market

5400 E. Washington St. - Eagle Marketing

1605 W. Washington - Boggs Tract Church / Former Corrado Variety Store (1950)
1607 W. Washington - Former C&M Grocery
1609 W. Washington - Former Victor Novacek Groceries (1950) / Don Quick - mid 50s

Washington and 205 S. Fresno - Taqueria Chapala / Former West Side BBQ

1769 W. Washington - G.N. Bokides Liquors

2005 W. Washington - DuraFlame

2040 W. Washington - California Farm Supply in 1955

2100 Block of W. Washington

2201 W. Washington - Port of Stockton

East Washington Street from 00 Center Street Click for Center Street Looking East at Washington Street and the Crosstown Freeway from Center Street E. Washington St - El Dorado Street Intersects Click for El Dorado Street Franco Center - El Dorado and Washington Streets - The actual address is 144 Mon Qwok Lane  - Originally  the location of  On Lock Sam which was demolished in the "West End Redevelopment" - At first it was supposed to be the new China Town, but it is now the Franco Center, Section 8 apartments for senior citizens. 115 1/2 East Washington Street - Hotel Roosevelt - Demolished

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External links

• National Register of Historical Places
• California Office of Historic Preservation