Standard Oil Building
Also known as: Newlin Hall
Why it's listed
Built in 1914 at the corner of Bright Avenue and Penn Street in downtown Whittier, this small group of stucco-covered brick buildings was the Southern California producing headquarters of Standard Oil Company of California. Designed by Los Angeles architects Alfred W. Rea and Charles W. Garstang in the Mission Revival style, it features arched windows, red tile gabled roofs with exposed rafters, and a central courtyard. A garage with an office floor above was added in 1922, and an engineering building came in 1918. The company chose the style to link its image to Southern California's past and landscape. The complex was its first department headquarters outside San Francisco, following a large purchase of oil holdings in West Coyote and East Whittier. Standard Oil outgrew the site and moved to Los Angeles in 1930. Whittier College bought it in 1942, used it as Newlin Hall for dormitory and office space, and sold it in 1979 to owners planning restoration.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an important early corporate office building in Southern California and one of the oldest remaining office buildings in Whittier. It served as the Producing Department headquarters of Standard Oil Company of California, the company's first department headquarters outside San Francisco. It is also a good example of the Mission Revival style, which the company chose deliberately for its regional image.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80000816, listed June 9, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 7257 Bright Ave., Whittier |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | June 9, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000816 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | A.J. Davis/Alfred W. Rea & Charles W. Garstang |
| Architectural style | Mission Revival (Mission Style) |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unoccupied and vacant at the time of nomination; the form says it was sold by Whittier College in 1979-80 to new owners who planned restoration and mixed-use development. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 33.97571, -118.03643 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 80000816.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7598273
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.