The Kern County Chamber of Commerce building was completed in 1928 on Chester Avenue which at the time was part of State Highway 99, the main north-south route through California. Architect Charles H. Biggar designed this Spanish-style building, utilizing influences from different architectural styles including, Mission Revival, Beaux Arts, and Arts and Crafts, on land adjacent to the Kern County Fair Grounds. Inside this building, visitors were treated to exhibits of Kern County’s produce and products.

Soon after the building opened, a letter to the editor suggested historical materials be collected at the Chamber. In 1941, the Kern County Board of Supervisors voted to establish a local museum. The Kern County Museum was granted space in the basement of the Chamber of Commerce building to collect artifacts documenting Kern County’s rich and diverse heritage.

In 1945, the Kern County Museum opened. It utilized a small portion of the Chamber of Commerce building. The museum became very popular, and the amount of artifacts on display continued to increase. By 1952, the museum was so large that it was decided the Chamber of Commerce would move out of the building to a location in downtown. The museum would occupy the rest of the space. The structure was then converted to the museum's needs, which included covering the windows into the main hall, and covering the "Kern County Chamber of Commerce" entrance signs with "Kern County Museum" and the construction of a mezzanine. Today the museum is enjoyed by all and holds an amazing collection of Kern County historical artifacts.

The Crites Building was designed by Bakersfield architect Benjamin McDougall (1865-1937) of McDougall Brothers of San Francisco and constructed as a two-story retail business by Charles J. Lindgren Company of San Francisco in 1900 for John Bartholome Berges (1865 - 1916). The first occupant was Redlick Brothers of San Francisco, a clothing company which conducted business here from 1901 to 1910. The second floor was occupied by the Savoy Hotel from 1912 to 1936. Louis V. Olcese (1863 - 1929), president of Ardizzi-Olcese Bank, bought the building in 1916, and Arthur S. Crites (1879 - 1957) acquired it in 1929. After the building was damaged by fire in 1936, local contractor Henry Eissler (1878 - 1966) converted the second floor to office space and placed the 'Arthur S. Crites' name on the second floor corner of the building.

Welcome to Fire Station #1, the longest operating fire station in the City of Bakersfield. This fire station has housed some of the finest firefighters and continues to carry on a legacy of brave firefighting since 1868. In the 1800s, buildings were primarily constructed of wood, so we can only imagine how crucial it was to have trained, knowledgeable, and brave firefighters to ensure the safety of the residents of the city. Let's learn more about the history of the Bakersfield Fire Department!

This site was patented by Colonel Thomas Baker in 1867. Although numerous individuals had previously owned the property, it was not until the erection of the Bank of Bakersfield building in 1903 that the site would become an epicenter of banking commerce along Chester Avenue. The Bank of Bakersfield founded by Simon Wible, a Bakersfield pioneer and entrepreneur, was influential in the growth of our fair city. The building was later purchased by Bank of America in 1930. Let's explore more of the history of this historic structure and one of the great pioneers who shaped our lovely city!

Colonel Thomas Baker was once of the original pioneers of Bakersfield and its namesake. As the plaque lists, he was not only the founding father of Bakersfield, he was a soldier, civil engineer, and some would even say, local politician. Colonel Baker's ingenuity, integrity, and determination are the foundations that continue to enrich and grow Bakersfield to this day. Let's learn more about his legacy on this stop on the trail!

Civil Engineer – Lawyer — Farmer – Soldier, 1810 – 1872.

In 1863 Colonel Baker came to this location. A friend to all travelers, his settlement became known at “Baker’s Field.” This civic center is his dream come true.

His motto — “Time will justify a man who means to do right”

The First Baptist Church was completed under the supervision of local architect Charles H. Biggar (1882 - 1946) in 1932. The building, designed in the Northern Italian Romanesque architectural style, is described in the National Register of Historic Places as "the finest remaining example of its architectural type, not only in Metropolitan Bakersfield and Kern County, but the entire southern San Joaquin Valley." In 1978 the First Baptist Church was closed at this location; the building was converted to office space and renamed Old Church Plaza.

First Presbyterian Church of Bakersfield, located downtown, has been serving the community for over 125 years. It offers a blend of Presbyterian and Evangelical tradition, making it an ideal place for those of the Presbyterian faith. The church is known for its strong community support and passionate committment to spreading love throughout the world.

Constructed in 1917 by Henry Jastro, this building is listed on both The National Register of Historic Buildings and The Register of Historic Places by the Bakersfield City Council. It originally housed the executive offices of Standard Oil Company of California. In 1990 it suffered a major fire and was completely refurbished by Macsoft, Inc.

Built in 1877, the Jastro House was originally owned by Henry Jastro (1848 – 1925)the head of the Kern County Land Company. Jastro helped develop the Land Company (later Tenneco West) in the 1890’s through the 1920’s and was very influential in the State. He was also Chairman of the Kern County Board of Supervisors for 24 years. The Jastro House is the only surviving example of Gothic architecture in Central Bakersfield and has been a victim of time. This house was relocated to its present site from the northwest corner of 19th and “G” Street due to the construction of the Jastro (Standard Oil) Building in 1917. Since then the house has been a rooming house, a Sunday school for the First Baptist Church, and a residence. The house has recently been purchased and will be refurbished for a local accounting firm. The Jastro House has been on the Bakersfield Register of Historic Places since 2005.

In 1894, four years after the formation of the Kern County Land Company, the firm built an office building that demonstrated its "Faith in the Future" of Bakersfield. The structure with outside walls of cream colored pressed brick, trimmed with gray sandstone and granite, was designed by architect Henry A. Schulze of San Francisco. By the 1950s the Kern County Land Company had outgrown the building and sold it in 1959.

Here stands the Kern County Vietnam War Memorial to commemorate the brave men and women from Kern County who served in Vietnam.

The inscription reads as follows:

To the more than 14,000 men and women from Kern County who served in Vietnam… and to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice… you are not forgotten.

S.H. Kress & Co. was the trading name of a national chain of "five and dime" retail department stores operating from 1896 to 1981. Opening in 1931, this three-story reinforced steel and masonry building was designed by New York City-based architect Edward F. Sibbert (1899-1982), who was the architect for all Kress department stores. The oranges and abstract blossoms above the windows and on the trim are reference to Kern Country's citrus industry. The building is among the finest examples of the Art Deco architectural style in Bakersfield. The Kress department store closed in 1974 and reopened as office space in 1984.

This site is quite unique, and today we're going to show you why! If you look closely, there are 2 historical marker plaques located here. The first plaque was erected by the Kern County Historical Society in 1965, to recognize the site of the Livermore and Chester Store, which was the first business establishment in Bakersfield. The second plaque was erected in 2015 to commemorate the current structure built in 1938, and occupied since that year by the Vest Drug Store and Market. Be sure to listen closely to the historical info shared so that you can answer the quiz question to check-in!

The Padre Hotel is an eight-story Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style building constructed on the former estate of Judge Benjamin Brundage (1834 – 1913). The Padre was originally designed by Los Angeles architect John M. Cooper (1883 -1950) in 1928 with 198 guest rooms, eight stories, a banquet hall, and a coffee shop. It had an auspicious and flamboyant beginning in the Central Valley's roaring 1920s. Milton "Spartacus" Miller (1914 - 1999) and his partners purchased the hotel in 1954, and for the next 45 years, he was in spirited battle with Bakersfield's city leaders over a myriad of issues. The building was closed for a number of years and the contemporary Padre Hotel was reopened in 2010 after an unprecedented $18 million renovation by San Diego-based Graham Downes Architect.

In 1863 Col. Thomas Baker settled on the site of the present City of Bakersfield and fenced a ten-acre plot of alfalfa. This became known as Baker's Field where travelers through the area camped with their stock for protection from marauding outlaw bands. Thus the city derived its name from this field which lay between 14th and 17th Streets and was bounded on the West by K Street and on the East by P Street.

The visitors center, also known as Visit Bakersfield, is a collaborative effort between the City of Bakersfield and the Greater Bakersfield Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB). The building was designed by award winning local architects, Ordiz-Melby Architects in XXXX. The design of the building was to accentuate the purpose of the facility and its ability to serve both the public and private sectors.

The site is located along Truxtun Avenue, adjacent to the Amtrak Station and near the Convention Center and Centennial Garden. As a non-profit organization, the CVB desires to make a big impact while maintaining a modest budget.

The idea of public and private became the form generator for the building. To define these, a rectangle is used for private office uses, and a triangle defines the public space. The two forms join each other near the center by overlapping, expressing further the separate but combined use of the building. 

The private space is seen as quiet and efficient. The material choice is common to professional offices in the area: a stucco exterior with regularly spaced and sized windows. The rectangle is placed orthogonal to Truxtun Avenue to reinforce its use, and its height relates to the pedestrian street edge.

As the building progresses from east to west, from private to public, the exterior walls begin to modulate: window openings convert from regular and ordered to random, then to all glass, and ending with a form cantilevering over open space.

https://www.ordizmelby.com/project/bakersfield-convention-visitors-bureau-multiple-award-winner/

The Barlow House is a classic example of the early Craftsman homes that were popular throughout California from 1905 to the 1930s. In fact, the architectural style was so popular among Californians that it became known alternatively as the "California Bungalow" style. The historic name of this structure was fashioned after prominent Bakersfield pioneer, Charles Barlow, who commissioned the home for his family in 1905.

This building was the original site of The Californian, sometimes called The Daily Californian, in Bakersfield. The newspaper was the descendant of the first newspaper in Kern County, The Havilah Weekly Courier, which was first published in the town of Havilah, CA in 1866. Once the seat of the county was moved from Havilah to Bakersfield in 1874, the newspaper followed. It is also where Alfred Harrell began publishing the newspaper as a small operation before expanding to another location on the historic trail.

The Hayden Building is a two-story structure that was built in 1904. Throughout its history, the Hayden Building has housed numerous businesses and organizations including a furniture store, a dance school, a fraternal organization, a hotel, a supply company, a radio station, and a theater. A historical marker was placed at the site in 2015 by the Kern County Historical Society.

The Fox Theater was designed by Los Angeles-based motion picture theater architect S. Charles Lee (1899-1990), built by Beller Construction, and supervised by local architect Charles H. Biggar (1882-1946). The three-story Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style building opened on December 25, 1930 as the only air-conditioned movie theater in the San Joaquin Valley. In 1953, its original Mediterranean Village interior was replaced by a contemporary Art Deco motif created by Fox-West Coast designer Carl G. Moeller (1893-1975) under the direction of Charles P. Skouras (1889-1954). The Fox closed to the public in 1977 but was rescued from demolition by community efforts and reopened on June 28, 1994 as movie theater, center for performing arts, and venue for community events.

Welcome to the Sill Building! Named after the Bakersfield pioneering Sill family, who constructed this building in 1939. The structure is a feast for the eyes for those in the know of its architectural form and design. Speaking for the rest of us, we just think it's a really cool building with an awesome history behind the family of its namesake. They are now into their 4th generations of family members the operating businesses within the Central Valley! Stick around to learn more and don't forget to complete your check-in quiz!