Kern County Hall of Records

The Kern County Courthouse was originally the sole repository of records in Kern County. Over time, however, the number of documents kept on file eventually outgrew the space. To solve this problem, the Kern County Hall of Records was constructed in 1909. Architects Robert Train and Robert Williams designed the building in the Beaux-Arts architectural style with a rotunda and large windows. But this combination of rotunda and large windows made the building very hot as sunlight poured in through the windows and the rotunda trapped the heat.

In 1939, the building was redesigned to address this issue. Architect Frank Wyncoop remodeled it in the PWA Moderne style. Meanwhile, the rotunda was removed, as were the statues on the roof. The windows were replaced with smaller versions, and the interior made use of increased electric lighting. The more elaborate exterior design elements were covered over. In 1952, the Kern County Hall of records became one of the only government buildings to withstand the earthquake of that same year.

By 1988, the building was again renovated. This time, the renovation was supervised by the Klassen Corporation and the architect Bill Tuculet. Storm doors were added to the building's entrance to protect against natural disasters. In addition, the exterior of the building was re-painted white, creating a uniform look for the Kern County Hall of Records.

Boose, Denise . Kern County Hall of Records, Historical Marker Database. March 22nd 2018. Accessed April 15th 2021. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=115127.

Kern County Hall of Records, Blog.shops-net.com. Accessed April 15th 2021. https://amp.blog.shops-net.com/31406760/1/kern-county-hall-of-records.html.