Bakersfield was well represented last Friday night at the 2026 California Preservation Awards. Congratulations to The City of Bakersfield for winning an award for their Cultural Resource Survey. The survey looks at five neighborhoods and identified more than three hundred notable buildings. Congratulations to Historic Resources Group (@hrgpreservation )for working with the city on this robust survey.
Congratulations also to @cater.design.group for their Woolworth’s Building restoration .
Thank you @sianwinship for the years of work uncovering the architectural history of Bakersfield
This house truly deserves a post of its own!
The Frank and Kay Davis Residence
1937, Richard J. Neutra
Frank Davis was among the wealthy oil executives living in Bakersfield during the 1930s.
Davis became aware of Neutra’s work when he viewed it at an exhibit at Bullock’s Wilshire in Los Angeles in July and August of 1932. As Esther McCoy points out, the elevations of the Davis Residence present “...alternating bands of solids and transparents in smooth surfaces and modular rhythm...” - a hallmark of the International Style. The design emphasis is clearly on horizontality, but the complementary bands of corner windows on the second and first floors are a clear statement about the machine aesthetic. In plan, the purity of the design, two perfect interlocking cubes, is revealed.
Frank Ghezzi, a Swiss-born architect owned the house during the 1990s and made several sensitive alterations. Ghezzii pushed out the dining room continuing the ribbon windows on the rear elevation. A bedroom and bathroom extension were pushed rearward off the master bedroom, absorbing the balcony area on the second floor.
The Davis Residence was featured in Pencil Points: “Notice how effectively Neutra has concentrated his feeling of enclosed intimacy on one hand and open freedom on the other, and how admirably they are combined by the simple regular rhythm.”
This house is expertly stewarded by @bakersfieldbuilt .
Tour by @sianwinship + @sah1365 .
#docomomo #californiamodern #docomomointernational #modernhome #architecture
🤍
We are delighted to invite you to this year’s AIAGE Winter Gala: Celebrating the 1950s! Join us for an evening dedicated to architecture, design, and the transformative spirit of rebuilding—a perfect way to close out the year.
For this special occasion, we will have exclusive access to the Bakersfield Museum of Art, offering a private experience for our guests. You’ll have the unique opportunity to explore the Bakersfield Built exhibit, which highlights the city’s remarkable 1950s architecture, along with other museum exhibits.
Your continued participation has been invaluable, and we hope to count on your presence and support for this final celebration of the year. Let’s come together to honor our shared passion for design and the legacy of our community.
Check out our story highlights for RSVP link!
#AIAGE #bakersfieldbuilt #Bakersfieldarchitecture
Sunday at the Ablin House (FLW 1959-1961). Bakersfield Built the 1950’s is taking place the last weekend in September in conjunction with @thebmoa@galleryram Tickets go on sale 8/1 at Th Ablin is not part of the symposium but we are organizing a charity breakfast on 9/29. More details soon.
