The Folsom Historical Society was founded by a group of Folsom residents who worked to prevent the demolition of the Wells Fargo Assay Office on Sutter Street. The building was set to be destroyed and a gas station built in its place. The building was demolished but some forward-thinking, history-minded Folsom residents saved and stored the pieces of the historic building. The planned gas station was never built, and the space remained empty until members of the Folsom Historical Society rebuilt the front façade of the Wells Fargo Assay office. The building opened as the Folsom History Museum in 1976.