Downtown Augusta in Richmond County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)

The Augusta Chinese and the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association

中華公所

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 10, 2023

1. The Augusta Chinese and the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association Marker

Inscription. The second half of the nineteenth century saw increased Chinese immigration to the United States to meet the needs of large-scale labor projects. In 1873, Chinese laborers were contracted to expand the Augusta Canal. The Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) halted the immigration of Chinese laborers to the United States, but it did not apply to merchants. Already established in Augusta at that time, the Chinese merchant class continued to grow with the arrival of families, creating the largest Chinese population in Georgia until the mid twentieth century. The Augusta Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA) was chartered in 1927 to support the Chinese community. The Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed in 1943, removing formal legal restrictions against Chinese Americans. The CCBA is the oldest Chinese organization in Georgia and remains active in the community.

Erected 2023 by Georgia Historical Society • Augusta Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. (Marker Number 121-26.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Asian Americans • Charity & Public Work • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Immigration. In addition, it is included in the Georgia Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1927.

Location.

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33° 28.169′ N, 81° 57.789′ W. Marker is in Augusta, Georgia, in Richmond County. It is in Downtown Augusta. Marker is on Walker Street east of 6th Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 548 Walker St, Augusta GA 30901, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Eve (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Medical College Building (about 400 feet away); Old Medical College (about 400 feet away); The First Presbyterian Church (about 700 feet away); a different marker also named The First Presbyterian Church (about 700 feet away); The Riot of May 11-12, 1970 (about 700 feet away); Home of Nicholas Ware (about 700 feet away); Richmond County (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Augusta.

Also see . . .
1. History. Because of its long maritime involvement, the province of Guangdong in Southeast China accounted for the bulk of 19th century Chinese immigration to the United States. More than 80% of the Chinese in the United States trace their roots to a small region in Guangdong Province about the size of the San Francisco Bay area. Most of the early families of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of Augusta (CCBA) were immigrants from this area. (Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 10, 2023

2. The Augusta Chinese and the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association Marker

of Augusta) (Submitted on June 28, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. Augusta Chinese-American Oral History Project. Oral interviews of individuals who either immigrated to Augusta, Georgia from China, and/or grew up in Augusta during the early to mid-twentieth century. (Digital Library of Georgia) (Submitted on June 28, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Credits. This page was last revised on November 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 28, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 127 times since then and 31 times this year. Last updated on November 6, 2023, by Kai NeSmith of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 28, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.