Jastro Building

The Jastro Building was originally built by Henry Jastro in 1917. However, he sold it to Standard Oil Company and it became the site of the company's Bakersfield offices. In 1921, the company then decided to fully relocate its Central Valley offices from Fresno to Bakersfield, which led to an expansion of the building.

For a quarter century, the Standard Oil Company was Kern County's largest tax payer. Much of this revenue directly benefitted the school system in Bakersfield. One of the elementary schools in Bakersfield was also named "Standard Elementary School" because of the company's cooperation when the school district was acquiring the site.

The Jastro Building is one of the few remaining examples of the Second Renaissance architectural style in Bakersfield. The historic exterior of the building withstood the devastating 1952 earthquakes. In the mid-1960s, the Standard Oil Company vacated the building, and the property changed ownership several times. As a result, subsequent owners have sought to restore the interior of the building to its original appearance.

In 1983, the Jastro Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. As noted on the nomination form, only a keen eye can discern the difference between the original 1917 building and the 1921 addition. Both were built by the same architectural team and constructed identically.

Boose, Denise . Standard Oil Company Building Historical Marker, Historical Marker Database. June 16th 2016. Accessed April 17th 2021. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=55124.

California SP Jastro Building (Nomination Form), NPS National Register of Historic Places. Accessed April 17th 2021. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123858859.

Jastro Building, Noe Hill, National Register of Historic Places in Kern County. Accessed April 17th 2021. https://noehill.com/kern/nat1983001182.asp.