Located on a prominent spot in downtown Bakersfield , the First Baptist Church structure is considered one of the finest examples of a decorative concrete structure in the San Joaquin Valley and is a prominent landmark in Bakersfield . It is the only religious structure of its era to survive the 1952 Kern County earthquake that destroyed many of downtown Bakersfield 's historic structures . It is also one of the few buildings in the area to remain relatively unaltered over the ensuing years
1952 Kern County earthquake
1952 Kern County earthquake
First Baptist Church (Bakersfield, California)