Santa Paula highlight
Historic downtown
The Union Oil Company Building in downtown Santa Paula opened in 1890 and is now home to the California Oil Museum.
Oil was discovered in Santa Paula in 1888, and on October 17, 1890, the Union Oil Company was founded in a second-floor office at what is now 1001 East Main Street in downtown Santa Paula. The company remained headquartered in this Queen Anne-style building with Italianate influences until 1900, when it relocated to Los Angeles. The building has remained a defining landmark for more than 130 years, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as Ventura County Landmark No. 36.
In 1990, for its Centennial Celebration, the Union Oil Building was restored to its original appearance and opened as the California Oil Museum. The museum, now leased and operated by the City of Santa Paula, shares the historical importance of the pioneering petroleum industry and its role in the initial development of the region. In 2022, Chevron offered to donate the building and adjacent Rig Building to the City, along with $2 million to support restoration and continued preservation efforts.
A downtown landmark like the Union Oil Building connects a community to its history and creates the kind of neighborhood where families put down roots. Planning for the financial security of your family means choosing the right level of coverage for the years when your income matters most—a decision that pairs naturally with the permanence and stability these buildings represent.