{"nrhp_refnum":"79000478","name":"First Baptist Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1200 Truxtun Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Bakersfield","county":"Kern County","state":"CA","lat":35.373737893000055,"lon":-119.01583705799999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-01-02","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A reinforced concrete church at 1200 Truxtun Avenue in downtown Bakersfield, Kern County, California, designed by Charles H. Biggar and built in 1930-32, combining Romanesque and Mission Revival styles.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is the finest remaining example of its architectural type in Bakersfield, Kern County and the southern San Joaquin Valley. It is cited as an exceptional use of exposed, board-formed reinforced concrete that fuses Romanesque and Mission Revival design. It was also the only downtown religious building undamaged by the 1952 earthquakes, and it is the work of a prominent local architect.","narrative":"Rising in the center of downtown Bakersfield, this church at 1200 Truxtun Avenue was designed by local architect Charles H. Biggar and built around 1930-32 by contractors James Currie and M. A. Dulgar. Its exposed reinforced concrete walls keep the texture of the wooden forms, and a 70-foot bell tower and red tile roof give it a Romanesque character. The Latin-cross sanctuary has a high timbered ceiling and stained glass by the Judson Studio of Pasadena, while the Fellowship Hall is in Mission Revival style, joined to the tower by an arcade. The nomination presents it as the finest surviving example of its type in the southern San Joaquin Valley and as an outstanding use of architectural concrete. It was the only downtown religious building to escape damage in the 1952 earthquakes. Apart from a small 1956 addition for a choir room and study, the building remains unaltered.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"Charles H. Biggar (architect); James Currie and M. A. Dulgar (general contractors)","architectural_style":"Romanesque and Mission Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied and in religious use; condition described as good in general, except for roof leaks. Largely unaltered apart from a 1956 addition.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:31.780073-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/79000478.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79000478/92868bb5b1-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79000478/92868bb5b1-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"Bobak Ha'Eri","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2009-0726-CA-Bakersfield-1stBaptist.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Bobak Ha'Eri</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2009-0726-CA-Bakersfield-1stBaptist.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123858849","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Baptist_Church_(Bakersfield,_California)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5452360"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/kern-county/first-baptist-church-79000478/"}