Adventure 003, Site 009-Atchison Village

Sherri and the central building of Atchison Village

Capture California, the Game-2013

Adventure: 003, Site 009-Atchison Village

National Registry ID: 3000473

Team: YOLT

Date:  June 11, 2013

Location:

Coordinates: 37°56′01″N 122°22′18″W

Address: Roughly bounded by MacDonald Ave, Ohio St, First St, and Garrard Blvd, Richmond, California

Description:

Date Built: 1941

Architect: John Carl Warnecke; Andrew T. Hass

The Richmond area was the site of a major ship building project at the start of World War II. If you are going to build ships, you need workers to build ships. Housing was needed for the workers, so Atchison Village was build using Lanham Community Facility Act funds. The site was bought from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, hence the name. At the end of the War, the government sold the Village to the workers for $1.5 million. There were 19 other projects built in Richmond, but this is the only one which survives. The Village is now a co-op or mutual home corporation.



While many parts of Richmond is run down and have major crime problems, Atchison Village has kept its area at a relatively low crime rate. This is in part, by the community feeling like they have an interest in the area.

In front of cousin's home

As residents have left the village through either moving or death, their rights to live there has been sold. The residence do not own their property as the Village owns all the property. This continuous ownership and the importance of the Village placed the entire area on the National Registry of Historical Places in 2003.



As a personal note, we have a cousin who owns living rights to one of the building.



References:

• Wikipedia
  
• Rosie the Riveter site
  
• NRHP-Text and Photos
  

Overall Landmark References:

• National Registry of Historical Places (NRHP)