Sam Kee Laundry, Napa

The Sam Kee Laundry Building, also known as the Pfeiffer Building, is one of the most historically significant structures in Napa. Built in 1875, it holds the distinction of being the oldest stone commercial building in Napa, originally constructed as part of Barth’s Bavarian Brewery, which is believed to be Napa’s first brewery. Over the years, the building has served many purposes, including housing a boarding house, saloon, brothel, meat market, and a laundry business.

In 1937, Sam Kee moved his laundry business into the space, marking an important chapter in Napa’s Chinese-American history. Sam Kee’s laundry business was involved in a series of legal cases challenging “nuisance laws” that were often used to target Chinese-owned businesses. Although the Chinese Exclusion Act was not repealed until 1943, these early legal battles contributed to the slow dismantling of discriminatory laws. The building remained a laundry until 1977, when it was the last remaining remnant of Napa’s once-thriving Chinatown.

Today, the Sam Kee Laundry Building is home to Vintner’s Collective, a wine tasting room that showcases some of Napa Valley’s most prestigious boutique wineries. As Napa’s first multi-winery tasting space, Vintner’s Collective offers an intimate and personalized wine experience, allowing visitors to sample exceptional, small-production wines in a setting rich with history and architectural charm.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, preserving its rich and complex past. Over the years, the structure has faced challenges, including significant damage from the 2014 South Napa Earthquake, but it was carefully restored and reopened in 2015. With its false-front Italianate design, locally quarried sandstone, and storied past, the building remains a living testament to Napa’s layered history, blending cultural heritage, commerce, and architectural beauty in the heart of downtown.