The 1939 Hart Park Adobe House, known locally as the Peacock House, is a Works Progress Administration project in Bakersfield that was constructed from adobe and other locally sourced materials on a concrete foundation as part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal program. In collaboration with project consultants and local stakeholders, the County of Kern completed a $1.2 million rehabilitation of the property in 2022 to convert it into the Kern River Parkway Nature Center. The project received a 2023 California Preservation Foundation Design Award in the Rehabilitation category and has been celebrated in the Bakersfield Californian.

With federal funds triggering Section 106 review, Chattel first prepared a Determination of Eligibility (DOE) report finding the adobe house eligible for listing in the National Register and a Finding of Effect (FOE) report finding the project in conformance with the Secretary’s Standards. As work began on the rehabilitation, Chattel continued to advise on the project and provide construction monitoring. The project team included contractors Ken Smith Construction and structural engineers Inertia Engineers (with additional concept design support from Structural Focus) who helped complete a comprehensive structural retrofit to stabilize the unreinforced adobe and retain and reuse as much existing adobe material as possible. Additional work included rehabilitation of existing wood windows, improvements to accessibility, and addition of interpretive features to highlight the building’s original construction.

Working in the midst of the pandemic, the Hart Park Adobe House rehabilitation project was a collaborative effort showing what can happen when government officials, historic preservation professionals, and community stakeholders work with one another to design a functional building that celebrates its historic character.