Bakersfield in Kern County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Padre Hotel
Photographed by Denise Boose, March 16, 2018
1. Padre Hotel Marker
Inscription.
Padre Hotel. . The Padre Hotel is an eight-story Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style building constructed on the former estate of Judge Benjamin Brundage (1834-1913). The Padre was originally designed by Los Angeles architect John M. Cooper (1883-1950) in 1928 with 198 guest rooms, eight stories, a banquet hall, and a coffee shop. It had an auspicious and flamboyant beginning in the Central Valley's roaring 1920s. Milton "Spartacus" Miller (1914-1999) and his partners purchased the hotel in 1954, and for the next 45 years he was in spirited battle with Bakersfield's city leaders over a myriad of issues. The building was closed for a number of years and the contemporary Padre Hotel was reopened in 2010 after an unprecedented $18 million renovation by San Diego-based developer Eat.Drink.Sleep. and Graham Downes Architecture.
The Padre Hotel is an eight-story Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style building constructed on the former estate of Judge Benjamin Brundage (1834-1913). The Padre was originally designed by Los Angeles architect John M. Cooper (1883-1950) in 1928 with 198 guest rooms, eight stories, a banquet hall, and a coffee shop. It had an auspicious and flamboyant beginning in the Central Valley's roaring 1920s. Milton "Spartacus" Miller (1914-1999) and his partners purchased the hotel in 1954, and for the next 45 years he was in spirited battle with Bakersfield's city leaders over a myriad of issues. The building was closed for a number of years and the contemporary Padre Hotel was reopened in 2010 after an unprecedented $18 million renovation by San Diego-based developer Eat.Drink.Sleep. and Graham Downes Architecture.
Erected by Kern County Historical Society. (Marker Number 2015.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1928.
Location. 35° 22.533′ N, 119° 1.292′ W. Marker is in Bakersfield, California, in Kern County. It is on 1702 18th St, on the right when traveling west. Located at the entrance off H. Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1702 18th St, Bakersfield CA 93301, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Joaquin Valley, specifically in the Central Valley, and in the Sierra Nevada. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 25, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 16, 2018, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. This page has been viewed 1,231 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on February 15, 2025, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 16, 2018, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
