The Pioneer Oil Refinery is an early and rare oil refinery located in the City of Santa Clarita. The refinery consists of two buildings and nine structures, including several tanks and large stills, on an otherwise undeveloped lot east of Pine Avenue. The refinery was opened in 1876 and was operational until as late as 1888, when it was closed. Although no longer used for refining petroleum products, the site was used to support oil drilling in nearby Pico Canyon into the early twentieth century. In 1930, the refinery was restored by the Standard Oil Company (an early predecessor of Chevron) for use as an interpretive site open to the public. After being donated to the City of Santa Clarita by Chevron in 1993, the City approved a Master Plan for the site in 2013. However, the refinery has been vacant for several decades. The buildings and structures are in poor to fair condition and are particularly susceptible to earthquakes, high winds, soil deposits, and planned construction on adjacent parcels. As such, they require stabilization and protection to prevent further damage and deterioration prior to the Master Plan being implemented.
