In December of 1919 W. Herndon Hitchcock purchased the Green Hotel from the Kern County Land Company. Herndon and his sister Marion operated The Hotel until his death in 1951 when the property became Marion’s. In 1982 The Hotel, with its many period furnishing and decorative pieces was
deeded to the Shafter Historical Society. In May of 1986 The Green Hotel Restoration Committee was formed.

At the onset of the restoration this
volunteer committee was solely responsible for generating funds and developing and directing the restoration of The Hotel and its grounds. A volunteer force, which became
known as The Green Hotel Cooks, continues to support the maintenance of the landmark with their contributions of time, creativity, and resources.

The project began with a substantial grant from the State of California Office of Historic Preservation, Department of Parks and Recreation. Other significant grants came from the Ben H. and Gladys Arkelian Foundation, the Harry and Ethel West Foundation, the City of Shafter and the Bakersfield Californian Foundation.

We also have a long list of generous donors
and have had the invaluable assistance of
the men of Teen Challenge and our local
community service organizations. The City
of Shafter designated The Green Hotel and
grounds as an historic site. The Hotel is a Kern County Point of Historic Interest and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The city has completed a downtown
redevelopment using the landmark as its
focal point. The Green Hotel is the geographic and architectural hub of downtown Shafter.