Bakersfield is not known for its historic buildings, which is not surpising since the city seems to delight in tearing down the old and building new. Personally, I think the Bakersfield "powers that be" feel inadequate and believe that when they build something new their city is somehow legitimized. Sadly, they are wrong. What they don't realize and probably will never realize is that Bakersfield's attempts to modernize fall so short from their goal and in the process destroys Bakersfield's foundation. If Bakersfield just embraced its history and its really cool - and oftentimes funky - historical resources, we could set ourselves apart from the rest of California as something different and inspiring.
Suprisingly, Bakersfield does have many historic buildings- not all have been torn down! A look through the Kern County Assessors's Property Search revealed many, many buildings that were built before 1910. Frankly, I was amazed at the number. Below is a partial list of the buildings that have survived the 1952 earthquakes, reconstruction after the earthquakes, revitilazation efforts, and decay:
2501 L Street - 1885
908 L Street - 1886
1230 Monterey Street - 1886
2012 E Street - 1889
2014 E Street - 1889
2620 L Street - 1890
2611 K Street - 1891
1209 Monterey Street - 1892
1811 20th Street - 1894
1205 Monterey Street - 1894
2124 20th Street - 1895
1601 19th Street - 1896
1213 Monterey Street - 1896
911 Niles Street - 1896
926 Niles Street - 1896
1108 Niles Street -1896
2500 L Street - 1897
519 Monterey Street - 1897
1709 D Street - 1898
101 L Street - 1898
1030 Monterey Street - 1899
2105 19th Street - 1900
2003 20th Street - 1900
2128 E Street - 1900
2205 E Street - 1900
2020 Eye Street - 1900
2830 Eye Street - 1900
2028 F Street - 1900
820 Monterey Street - 1900
1030 Monterey Street - 1900
1118 Monterey Street - 1900
2109 19th Street - 1901
2317 Dracena Street - 1901
2019 E Street - 1901
2022 Maple Avenue - 1901
907 Monterey Street - 1901
2114 20th Street - 1902
2319 20th Street - 1902
2616 20th Street - 1902
1402 26th Street- 1902
1011 Monterey Street - 1902
1107 Monterey Street - 1902
512 Niles Street - 1902
1123 Niles Street - 1902
1209 Niles Street - 1902
1406 26th Street - 1903
918 Eye Street - 1903
912 Niles Street - 1903
1020 Niles Street - 1903
2528 K Street - 1904
807 Monterey Street - 1904
1201 Niles Street - 1904
2131 18th Street - 1905
2111 19th Street - 1905
2033 20th Street - 1905
2331 20th Street - 1905
2528 20th Street - 1905
2628 20th Street - 1905
2330 B Street - 1905
2622 K Street - 1905
620 L Street - 1905
918 Monterey Street - 1905
1111 Niles Street - 1905
2112 17th Street - 1906
2702 20th Street- 1906
2728 20th Street - 1906
2117 B Street - 1906
2304 B Street- 1906
2318 B Street - 1906
1818 Maple Avenue -1906
2010 Maple Avenue - 1906
1007 Monterey Street - 1906
1227 Monterey Street - 1906
1221 Niles Street - 1906
1804 Orange Street - 1906
1807 Orange Street - 1906
2429 19th Street - 1907
2630 L Street - 1907
909 Monterey Street - 1907
1018 Monterey Street - 1907
1224 Monterey Street - 1907
2310 18th Street - 1908
802 Eye Street - 1908
1015 Eye Street - 1908
2016 Forrest Street - 1908
1106 K Street - 1908
1112 Monterey Street - 1908
1116 Monterey Street - 1908
808 Niles Street - 1908
1024 Niles Street - 1908
1809 Orange Street - 1908
1904 Orange Street - 1908
2011 Orange Street - 1908
2011 Orange Street - 1908
2229 18th Street - 1909
2521 20th Street - 1909
2525 20th Street - 1909
2617 20th Street - 1909
2712 20th Street - 1909
2104 B Street - 1909
2230 B Street - 1909
2311 B Street - 1909
2112 C Street - 1909
1730 Dracena Street - 1909
2106 E Street - 1909
911 M Street - 1909
509 Niles Street - 1909
806 Niles Street - 1909
