Places, Earth
California Oil Museum

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California Oil Museum

California Oil Museum looks like a beautifully restored Victorian building. It is actually a significantly historicaly important beautifully maintained Victorian building. Built in 1890, the Union Oil Company was founded in an upstairs office. The museum contains a museum of oil development in California. The museum is located at the corner of Main Street and 10th Street in Santa Paula.

These photos taken 10-11-03 unless otherwise noted.

Exterior.

Turret. Photo date: 7-3-93.

Entrance to second floor.

Front door. Photo date: 7-3-93.

The stairs leading to the second floor.

Hat stand.

Switch board.

This is the pay window where Union Oil employees came to collect their pay, in cash.

Inside pay office.

Safe.

Cash Register.

Door. Photo date: 7-3-93.

Even the door hinges were decorative.

Safe. Note the three communication tubes to the right of the safe.

Safe. There are two doors. The outer night door would be locked at the end of the business day. The inner day door was quicker to open during the business day when it was accessed more often.

Safe. Some of the ledger books from the early days of the Union Oil Company.

Exterior of turret at corner of the building.

Interior of turret at corner of the building.

Fire place in one of the offices. Photo date: 7-3-93.

Fire place in one of the offices.

Interior of bay window.

Wainscot. The building contains beautiful wood work.

Because the early electric lights also had gas as a backup, soot would collect on the ceiling. The medallion was both decorative and also easier to replace than the ceiling.

During lean times, some offices were rented out as apartments.

Photo date: 10-11-03.

Photo date: 7-3-93.

The museum also has a working replica of an early oil drill.

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This page last updated: Tuesday, 25-Sep-2007 21:15:57 EDT

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Places, Earth California Oil Museum

California Oil Museum

This page last updated: Tuesday, 25-Sep-2007 21:15:57 EDT

Places, Earth
California Oil Museum