Bakersfield Californian Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bakersfield Californian Building
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Street (east) facade of main building.
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 Location in Bakersfield, California
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1707 Eye St., Bakersfield, California |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1926 |
| Architect | Eissler, Henry; Bigger, Charles H. |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals; Italian Renaissance Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 83001183 |
| Added to NRHP | March 10, 1983 |
The Bakersfield Californian Building is a historic office building in Bakersfield, California. It was built for The Bakersfield Californian newspaper. This important building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 10, 1983. It's a cool example of old architecture and a reminder of the newspaper's long history.
Contents
What Does the Building Look Like?
The Bakersfield Californian Building is actually made of two parts. Both parts are covered with reddish-brown bricks. The main building faces east. It was first shaped like a rectangle, but over time, new sections were added, making it look like an "L."
A smaller, separate building is also part of the property. It's about 900 square feet and is located at the northeast corner of the main building. This smaller building was designed as a rest area especially for women.
Main Building Details
The main building has windows placed in a balanced way on all four sides. These are steel sash windows, which means they slide up and down. Flat columns, called pilasters, are on the outside brick walls. They cover the steel frame of the building.
The main entrance on the east side has seven wide granite steps. These steps lead to shiny brass double glass doors. The entrance is split into three parts by columns. Each part has a large, rectangular opening. The two side sections have big windows with many small panes. Above these windows are decorative shields, one of which shows the architect's name.
The middle section has the main door. It is framed by fancy Corinthian columns that have detailed leaf designs. Above the door is a window with many small panes, called a transom. The words "Established 1866" are written above this door. A low wall, called a parapet, is above these sections. It has "The Bakersfield Californian" written on it.
The entire entrance is set back between two brick towers. These towers also have parapets. The towers have sets of twelve-paned windows on the first and third floors. The tower on the southeast side has decorative wrought iron railings that curve around the corner. These railings cover large French doors, which are doors with many glass panes. This tower also has a flagpole at the top.
The tower on the northeast side has two smaller towers. It ends with a shorter, round tower called a turret. This turret has a roof made of terra cotta, which is a type of baked clay. Above the third-story windows on the east side, between the towers, there is a row of small, decorative brick arches.
The Smaller Building
The second, smaller building looks similar to the main one. It was built specifically for women visiting downtown Bakersfield. Back then, it was hard for women to find public restrooms. It was also not considered proper for them to just walk into local buildings to use their facilities. So, this special building provided a needed service.
Why Is This Building Important?
The Bakersfield Californian newspaper has a long history. It is connected to Kern County, California's very first newspaper, the Havilah Courier, which started in 1866. Havilah, California was the first county seat before the local government moved to Bakersfield.
The building itself, built in 1926, is considered an important architectural landmark. It reminds people of the newspaper's successful early years. The publisher at that time was Alfred Harrell. He was a respected person in the community. From when he took over in 1897 until he passed away in 1946, he helped build the newspaper's reputation. He made sure it was known for being dedicated to helping the community.
