| Tevis Block | |
| Location: | 1712 19th St., Bakersfield, California |
| Coordinates: | 35.3767°N -119.0206°W |
| Built: | 1893 |
| Architect: | Schultze, Henry A. |
| Architecture: | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals, Second Renaissance Revival |
| Added: | March 29, 1984 |
| Refnum: | 84000780 |
The Tevis Block, also known as the Kern County Land Company Building, is a historic office building in Bakersfield, California. The structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on March 29, 1984.
The Tevis Block is a two-story, U-shaped structure constructed of imported fire brick. The front, south-facing facade has fanlight windows and terra cotta arches. Each floor is articulated differently and treated with a different order and finish. Basement windows are rectangular and bottom-hinged with a flat lintel. The first floor windows, two-sash and divided vertically with the fanlight transom, are enhanced by the brickwork to give the appearance of including mezzanine windows. The second-story windows are single-light sash with flat radiating bricks above. Atop the second-story windows is a narrow frieze with square vents topped by a decorated boxed cornice capped by a high plain cornice. The rear of the building includes an enclosed elevator, added later, and a second-story, iron-railed walkway. An additional one-story brick wing was added to the northwest corner of the building in later years.[1]
The Tevis Block is the final vestige of the Kern County Land Company.[1] The company was formed in 1890 by James Haggin and his brother-in-law Lloyd Tevis and prospered in developing Kern County, California areas around the Kern River.[2] The building helped open up the Bakersfield downtown west of H Street and became a landmark upon construction. It was one of only a handful of unreinforced masonry buildings to survive the 1952 Kern County earthquake, and was subsequently strengthened, renovated and restored to a close proximity of its original architecture. It is considered a fine example of Second Renaissance Revival architecture.[1]