The Kern County Basque community has done an admirable job of conveying its remarkable history in this area. Now the Italians are stepping up with their own history, starting with an exhibit at the Kern County Museum that opens Sept. 28.

It is the Italian Heritage Farmhouse, situated in the southeast corner of Pioneer Village, near the Bakersfield Sound exhibit. Along with the Italian exhibit in the Tejon Ranch Gallery near the museum’s entrance, it’s a 3-D history book. Museum Executive Director Mike McCoy pieced together as much pre-war authenticity as he could find, from the chandeliers to the corkscrews.