Parco Historic District

The Parco Historic District is a 1920s workers' town with about 93 buildings arranged around a central plaza. Of the 49 structures recognized as historically significant, many display Spanish Colonial features such as unpainted stucco walls and colorful tile roofs.

The town was built in 1924 to house workers for the Producers and Refiners Oil Company refinery under oil magnate Frank Kistler. Its creation reflected new ideas about planning purpose-built communities for industrial workers.

The central plaza serves as the heart where residential buildings, shops, and civic structures arrange themselves around shared space. This layout shows how workers lived and gathered, making daily needs and community life part of a single organized plan.

The area covers about 31 acres and is framed by several easily identified streets. Visitors can walk through the streets and explore the buildings and plaza at their own pace.

The buildings display striking unity through their unpainted stucco exteriors and colorful tile roofs that evoke southwestern mission architecture. This consistent design emerged from central planning, creating a rare example of deliberately crafted architectural harmony.