Twining Labs
2527 Fresno Street, Fresno, CA
Twining Labs is a Fresno institution, going back to its founding
in 1898. Fredrick Twining was a chemist, who began as a
bacteriologist. He had a nation-wide reputation for the preparation
of vaccines against cattle disease. His firm had the reputation of
“We Will Test Anything”, and that they did-testing foods, drugs,
sobriety, and even brandy quality. As the firm grew, there was more
and more need of facilities, consequently the present building was
built in 1930.
As designed by architect Charles
E. Butner, the Twining Laboratories represents a fine example of
Depression-era construction in a modestly-scaled and detailed
Mediterranean idiom. Although this genre was quite popular in the
design of schools and residences in the Fresno area during the 1910s
and 1920s, it was not widely adopted for commercial buildings. Much
of that original but small resource has been lost to urban renewal,
making the Twining Laboratories a rare example of a stylistic type
commonly seen in other California communities. (GHF)
Because
stylistic modifications to the principal architectural facade have
been minor, loss of original building fabric has been limited, and
the primary function of the building has not changed appreciably for
six decades, the property exhibits a substantial degree of
historical and architectural integrity. (NRHP)
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