Chinese Camp

St. Xavier’s Catholic Church

St. Xavier’s Catholic Church was the first non-Chinese house of worship in Chinese Camp. Built in 1855 by popular subscription of funds and labor, the structure originally had a shingle roof which was replaced with sheet iron and several coats of paint when the building was restored in 1949. Father Henry Aleric was the first priest to serve the seventy parishioners at Chinese Camp. He traveled a circuit through the mines, covering an area stretching from Knights Ferry to Second Garrote. He rode a mule. The church is located on a hill across the highway.