Ah Louis Store
historic place
The Ah Louis Store, a historic place in San Luis Obispo, California, began with an original wooden structure built in 1874. The larger brick building, which stands today, was constructed on the same site in 1885. Ah Louis, also known as Wong On, established this store after settling in San Luis Obispo in 1867. He was a labor contractor, providing Chinese workers for railroad construction and other projects. Ah Louis also operated the area's first brickyard, with his bricks used for the store and other local buildings. The Ah Louis Store served as the commercial center for San Luis Obispo's Chinatown. It functioned as a general store, post office, bank, and employment office for the Chinese and Asian community. Ah Louis and his family lived on the store's upper floor from 1885 until his death in 1936. This site is recognized as California Historical Landmark 802 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 26, 2008. The Ah Louis Store remains one of the few surviving structures from the original Chinatown, representing a significant part of the region's history.