Bakersfield Audio Tour: Stories Beneath the Clock Tower and City Lights

Alright, take a look at this building on your right. That’s the Kern County Hall of Records-basically, Bakersfield’s treasure chest for government paperwork since 1909. People have been coming here for over a century to dig up marriage licenses, land deeds, and, I assume, some pretty embarrassing family secrets. It’s actually the oldest government building still used in Kern County, outlasting fires, political storms, and even the big 1952 earthquake that sent plenty of other buildings packing. Architects Train and Williams originally dreamed it up in the Beaux Arts style, so picture grand windows and a big, sunny rotunda back when it opened-lovely for an art gallery, less great for a room full of record clerks slowly roasting in the California summer. By 1939, the county pivoted: PWA Moderne was suddenly in, giant windows out. They hired Francis Wynkoop to slap on a new look, cover up the rotunda, and dim the sunlight-hello, electric lights. Oh, and if you’re wondering-when this was built for around $100,000, that’d be a whopping $3 million today

On your right is the Beale Memorial Clock Tower-Bakersfield’s eyebrow-raising answer to the question, “Why not put a giant clock in the middle of the street?” Back in 1904, Truxtun Beale gave this tower to the city as a tribute to his mom, Mary Edwards Beale. Truxtun got the idea from Spain-apparently, being an ambassador comes with plenty of travel inspiration and a taste for dramatic tribute. Originally, this tower sat smack dab in the middle of traffic, like a stubborn mule no one wanted to move. The city council tried to take it down in 1912, but the locals and Truxtun dug in their heels, so trolley tracks had to swerve around it. You think your morning commute is complicated? Then, the 1952 earthquake hit-the big one. The original tower didn’t make it, but folks here salvaged its guts: the ironwork, the old bell, even the clock mechanism. Fast forward to 1964, and thanks to a group of determined Bakersfield residents, the tower you see now rose again-complete with all that old hardware, just relocated up Chester Avenue. When you’re ready, head north-it’s just a one-minute walk to the Bakersfield Californian Building.

You’ve got the Bakersfield Californian Building on your right-can’t miss it. Those reddish-brown bricks give it a kind of storybook authority, like the newspaper inside is ready to break the news and the bricks are determined to keep it safe. Step back for a second and let your eyes wander to the two brick towers flanking the entrance; if towers could talk, these would have plenty to say. See those big granite steps leading up to polished brass doors? Walk past those and you’re walking into nearly a century of headlines. The facade reads “Established 1866,” which makes The Bakersfield Californian one of California’s proud newspaper survivors-and possibly the oldest institution on this block that isn’t selling coffee. In the 1920s, when this building went up, newspapering was serious business. Publisher Alfred Harrell steered the ship, growing the paper’s influence and finding ways to keep the local politicians on their toes. If you talked to the locals back then, he was basically Bakersfield’s own watchdog with a press badge. The design isn’t just for show. Walk around the corner and you’ll find a small, detached brick building-built entirely as a rest stop for women coming downtown. In the 1920s, public bathrooms for women were shockingly rare, so this little spot was a genuine act of progress. Imagine folks in their Sunday best, clutching coins worth a buck or two-maybe five or ten dollars in today's money-grateful for a place to freshen up before heading out for a slice of civic life. Alright, when you’re ready, follow the road west for about 5 minutes and we’ll hit the Jastro Building.

If you look to your right, you’ll spot the Jastro Building-though you might also hear locals call it the Standard Oil Building. On the outside, it’s got that classic “I mean business” elegance, straight from the late-Second Renaissance Revival playbook. Two stories, flat roof, bold boxed cornices, and windows lined up with all the discipline of a marching band. Its quirky C-shaped first floor and H-shaped upper floor are a little like those puzzles you put together as a kid-except this one helped run Kern County’s oil empire. Step back in time: It’s 1917, oil is king in California, and Standard Oil has just moved its Central California headquarters here. That move sent shockwaves-of the economic kind-across downtown. If you’re picturing bigwigs closing deals in dark suits, you’re not wrong. And when Mother Nature threw us the real 1952 earthquake, this building barely flinched... unlike most of downtown. Not only a survivor, but one of the finest examples of its architectural style left downtown. Alright, when you’re ready, head east for about 2 minutes-that’s where Tevis Block waits for us.

Coming up on your right, you’ll catch a building that has more stories than your local library - the Tevis Block. Now, you’d never guess it, but this two-story chunk of downtown survived the 1952 earthquake with its dignity, and most of its bricks, intact. Back then, it was one of the rare unreinforced brick buildings to make it through, earning itself some serious brownie points… plus a big dose of structural upgrades. Take a look at the fanlight windows, terra cotta arches, and all that brickwork drama - that’s Second Renaissance Revival style, for anyone studying up on classic architecture. Down in the basement, those old rectangular windows used to swing open for breezes before air conditioning made everything boring. The Tevis Block started out as the headquarters for the Kern County Land Company, the brainchild of James Haggin and Lloyd Tevis. These guys helped develop the land around the Kern River, investing in Bakersfield’s future long before real estate meant million-dollar listings. Funny thing, in 1890, you could buy a home here for a few hundred bucks - less than ten grand in today’s cash. Alright, when you’re ready, just head east for about 19 minutes and you’ll reach Garcés Memorial Circle.

Step right up to Garcés Memorial Circle-though, if you tried to step too far, well...you’d end up dodging a lot of traffic. Yeah, locals just call this “The Circle,” but there’s more going on here than cars playing musical chairs. Towering in the middle is Father Francisco Garcés himself, or at least his 1939 bronze likeness, keeping a calm eye on Bakersfield’s not-so-calm intersections. Now, imagine it’s 1776-not the fireworks-and-founding-fathers part, but out here, where Father Garcés strolled into a local Indian rancheria. Picture dust, heat, and cottonwoods, and Garcés probably wondering if he should’ve packed more water. He named this spot “San Miguel de los Noches por el Santa Príncipe”-a mouthful, but he was serious about his paperwork. Fun fact: this traffic circle first opened in the early 1930s, part of old US Route 99. It cost a pretty penny back then, but if you adjusted it to today’s dollars, you’d probably need the city’s annual donut budget. Alright-watch your step, and maybe give Father Garcés a nod for his road trip spirits.