The Pioneer Oil Refinery off of Pine Street in Newhall was built in 1877 by California Star Oil works – forming the foundation for the west coast oil industry. Benzene and kerosene were the main products made in the refinery, and were later sold locally in Ventura and Santa Barbara.

It was the first commercially successful oil refinery in the western United States and is believed to be the oldest existing refinery in the world. It even made its way into a film “High, Wide, and Handsome” back in 1937. The refinery whimpered to a close between 1888 and 1890 as Standard’s big, new Alameda refinery took off.

The refinery was restored for historical purposes in 1930, the 1950s, and in 1976. Two of the original boilers were transported to Chevron’s refinery property in Richmond, California, where they were restored. The City of Santa Clarita is actively restoring the refinery as it prepares to open the site to the public as a city park.