Tevis Block

The Tevis Block, also known as the Kern County Land Company Building, is a historic office building in Bakersfield, California. The structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on March 29, 1984.

Tevis Block
Location1712 19th St., Bakersfield, California
Coordinates35°22′36″N 119°1′14″W
Area0.4 acres (0.16 ha)
Built1893
ArchitectSchultze, Henry A.
Architectural styleLate 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Second Renaissance Revival
NRHP reference No.84000780 [1]
Added to NRHPMarch 29, 1984

Structure

The Tevis Block is a two-story, U-shaped structure constructed of imported fire brick. The front, south-facing facade has fanlight windows and terra cotta arches. Each floor is articulated differently and treated with a different order and finish. Basement windows are rectangular and bottom-hinged with a flat lintel. The first floor windows, two-sash and divided vertically with the fanlight transom, are enhanced by the brickwork to give the appearance of including mezzanine windows. The second-story windows are single-light sash with flat radiating bricks above. Atop the second-story windows is a narrow frieze with square vents topped by a decorated boxed cornice capped by a high plain cornice. The rear of the building includes an enclosed elevator, added later, and a second-story, iron-railed walkway. An additional one-story brick wing was added to the northwest corner of the building in later years.[2]

Significance

The Tevis Block is the final vestige of the Kern County Land Company.[2] The Company was formed in 1890 by James Haggin and his brother-in-law Lloyd Tevis and prospered in developing Kern County, California areas around the Kern River.[3] The building helped open up the Bakersfield downtown west of H Street and became a landmark upon construction. It was one of only a handful of unreinforced masonry buildings to survive the 1952 Kern County earthquake, and was subsequently strengthened, renovated and restored to a close proximity of its original architecture. It is considered a fine example of Second Renaissance Revival architecture.[2]

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See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. Chris Brewer, Historic Resources Inventory, State of California -- The Resources Agency, Department of Parks and Recreation, April 3, 1984; copy accessed from City of Bakersfield Cultural Resources Survey Downtown Area, located in the Local History room of the Beale Memorial Library, Bakersfield, California.
  3. Carleton E. Watkins Photography Collection Archived 2011-01-27 at the Wayback Machine, Kern County Library, Accessed December 28, 2010.
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