Kern County Chamber of Commerce
Posted by: 
brwhiz
N 35° 23.592 W 119° 01.153
11S E 316616 N 3918520
This historical interpretive sign is in front of the old Chamber of Commerce Building at the entrance to the Kern County Museum in Bakersfield.
Waymark Code: WMJDN7
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 11/04/2013
Views: 2
Kern County Chamber of Commerce
When the Kern County Chamber of Commerce building was completed in 1928, Chester Avenue was part of State Highway 99, the main north-south route through California.
Architect Charles H. Biggar designed this Spanish-style building on land adjacent to the Kern County Fair Grounds. Inside this building, visitors were treated to exhibits of Kern County’s produce and products.
Soon after the building opened, a letter to the editor suggested that historical materials be collected at the Chamber. In 1941, the Kern County Board of Supervisors voted to establish a local museum. The Kern County Museum was granted space in the basement of the Chamber of Commerce building to collect artifacts documenting Kern County’s rich and diverse heritage.
The first museum exhibits opened to the public in a corner of the first floor of this building. When the Chamber of Commerce moved their operations downtown, the museum expanded to use the entire building for exhibits.