By Elizabeth Cortez.
Staff Writer
CSUB Archivist, Chris Livingston, traced the life of Architect Charles H. Biggar during his presentation on October 23 in the Dezember room at the Walter Stiern Library.
Chris Livingston, an archivist, gave a presentation about Charles Biggar’s historic
buildings in Kern County while advocating the preservation of the character of his architectural design providing Kern County with a beautiful ambiance. Hosted by the Walter Presents series, the California State University Bakersfield Walter W. Stiern, in the Dezember Reading Room, the audience was shown the most famous of Biggar’s buildings.
Walter Presents series by the California State University Bakersfield Walter W. Stiern Library hosted a presentation by Archivist Chris Livingston on Oct. 23, an event about architect Charles Biggar’s historic buildings and the building of Kern County, Livingston advocated to keep the character of Kern County, in the Dezember Reading Room.
As part of the presentation, Livingston, a Stiern Library Archivist and graduate of CSUB with bachelor’s and master’s in history, he presented the story of how Biggar’s architecture designs benefited Bakersfield.
“ It’s important that we preserve our buildings because each city has their own historic buildings and it adds to its character. These buildings by Biggar and other architects add to the ambiance of Kern County,” said Livingston.
However, not all agree on keeping the architectural character of the town. According to the California High-Speed Rail authority website, “The $1.5 to $2 billion design-build contract will bring thousands of jobs to the Central Valley, an area with one of the highest unemployment rates in California and the nation.”
With $3.24 billion in federal grants, the Senate Bill 1029 approved by the state legislature in July 2012 added $2.61 billion. Nevertheless, Bakersfield residents do not approve of taking down Biggar’s buildings. The attendees of the presentation agreed about the need for the IT building at Bakersfield High School to be preserved.
Jaslyn Woolfolk, a graduate of BHS and CSUB liberal studies major, does not approve of taking down the IT building.
Chris Livingston, CSUB Archivist, presented “Life as an Architect” at the Walter Stiern Library’s Dezember room to CSUB students on October 23.
“I think the presentation was really cool. I never new so much history and I think that was the coolest part of coming. Because I went to BHS [I can see] there is some type of value to how great the character is,” Woolfolk said.
Another attendant of the presentation, also a former BHS student and current CSUB student, Maria Morales advocates for the BHS building to be kept in place. “I was in the buildings everyday. Every building that he mentioned impacted me. For example, the IT building in the gym I would be there every single day,” Morales said.
“I think the IT building is very crucial to the whole plan of BHS. I think an argument can be made that the Bakersfield campus could qualify as a historic neighborhood not just buildings within,” said Livingston.
The historical importance of the IT building and many more buildings by him were presented in the lecture. Among Charles H. Biggar’s buildings are, the Kern County Chamber of Commerce Building, the Bakersfield Californian, the Fish Building, the
Herberfelde Building, the Kern County Library, the Bakersfield Fire Department Station, Kern General Hospital, and many more. Moreover, not only did Biggar provide the county with buildings for the general public use, but he also contributed to the culture of the city. For instance, he was responsible for the 1st Baptist Church as well as the Woman’s Club of Bakersfield. A presentation about Biggar’s architecture that highlighted the character of Bakersfield’s historic buildings, Livingston told a story of character that contrasts to the economic gains of the high-speed rail system.
