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.
