History on the Highway-
Spanish-style Building was once the California Highway Patrol office in the Merced Region
The former CHP district headquarters was housed in the Spanish Mission style building on 16th Street in Merced where KAMB radio’s studio in located now. Photo: CHP Archive
We know that the Spanish Mission-style building south of G Street on 16th Street in Merced is the home of KAMB radio.
But it was built for and had a long history as the headquarters of the California Highway Patrol's four-county district, serving Merced, Fresno, Madera, and Mariposa Counties.
CHP moved into the custom-designed building in 1934. It is the first state-owned building dedicated to CHP. Leadership at the time anticipated advancements in the relatively new era of radio communications, so the building was designed to accommodate these changes.
“Before that building, CHP was located in the basement of the old Merced County Library,” said Officer Eric Zuniga. “We were in the Library basement for five years.”
The library was in the old Merced County High School building at 2125 M Street in Merced. That building was originally the Merced Academy private school.
After six years, the Merced Academy building was used as Merced County High School, the first public high school in the district, in 1903. The County Library moved there in 1921.
The view from the front door at the former CHP facility on 16th Street in Merced. Photo: Steve Newvine
The tower or turret room on the 16th location was notable.
It was built to serve as a radio room but was never used for that purpose. The steep stairway leading up to the top of the tower proved too much of a challenge for bulky radio equipment.
While that building feature intended for radio communication was scrapped, the building served the four-county CHP district for twenty-nine years.
Captain William Burch was the CHP Merced Regional Headquarters Commander from 1929 to 1965. Photo: CHP Archive
Throughout all those years, the district headquarters was under the command of one person: Captain William Burch.
Captain Burch headed the district command from 1929 through 1965.
He likely had a hand in the design features of the 16th Street facility.
Space requirements for an ever-growing CHP forced a move to a larger facility near Childs Avenue and Highway 99. That building served the agency for another three decades. CHP now operates a six-thousand-square-foot facility in Atwater.
The building is now the home of KAMB Radio, a Christian music station. Offices that once housed CHP personnel are now occupied by radio station staff. The station’s studios offer a view of 16th Street.
The KAMB radio studios have windows that look out onto 16th Street, the original highway 99. Photo: Steve Newvine
KAMB has been at this site since beginning broadcasting in Merced in 1967. Station Manager Chris Grant likes the idea that their studios once served as the district headquarters for the CHP.
“You can still see elements from the building from when CHP was here,” Chris says, pointing to a gate believed to have been installed when the facility was built and two reflector posts that he believes were part of the original construction.
The radio station found the same challenge in that tower turret room as CHP. Navigating the spiral stairs that lead up to the room requires a lot of work. While CHP abandoned early plans to house radio communications in the small turret room, KAMB uses the room for storage only.
The turret tower on the former CHP Merced headquarters was formed as a seven-point star, a symbol of the CHP. Photo: Steve Newvine
The building will always have a claim to California history as the first state-owned CHP district headquarters.
There’s no historical marker on the property, but from 16th Street, there is a symbol of the building’s connection to the law enforcement organization.
The window of the turret tower is shaped like the seven-point star symbolizing the CHP.
It’s another piece of the past that remains intact on historic Highway 99.
Steve Newvine lives in Merced.
He thanks CHP Officer Eric Zuniga for background information and archive photos and to Chris Grant at KAMB Radio for access to provide updated photos of the building as it stands today.
He is also indebted to County Librarian Amy Taylor for providing information about the old Merced County Library. Amy retrieved information from the book “An Early History of the Merced County Free Library 1901-1976” by Kathleen L. Brantley-Gutierrez, M.L.I.S. c. 2006, 2009.
Steve’s new book Beaten Paths & Back Roads is available for sale at the Merced County Courthouse Museum Gift Shop or online at https://www.lulu.com/shop/steve-newvine/beaten-paths-and-back-roads/paperback/product-emmv6r.html?q=beaten+paths+steve+newvine&page=1&pageSize=4