The Boarding House was built in 1909 to board the workers of the Southern Pacific Railroad. The shipping warehouse is located across the River Road. The Boarding house was later purchased by the Kuramoto family, who operated the Boarding House from 1920 to 1942. The Kuramoto family was interned during WWII and did not return to resume operation of the Boarding House after the War. In 2008 it became the Locke Boarding House, a unit of the State Park System. The exhibit and research facility are operated by the California State Parks and the Locke Foundation. It is open to the public free of charge.