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SANTA BARBARA •
THE AMERICAN RIVIERA
From the early days of the Chumash Indians to the influx of the Franciscans, Santa Barbara’s architecture represents a fusion of Mediterranean, Spanish, early Californian, Mexican, Moorish and English Country design styles. Many architects have made an imprint on Santa Barbara, leaving a rich legacy of multiple cultures and designs throughout the county. Low-pitched tile roofs, porcelain plaster walls, arched facades, enclosed garden courtyards and wrought iron embellishments strewn with bougainvillea are common threads that link the city. Today, Santa Barbara fuses more of these design elements than anywhere else in the country.
A major turning point in the city’s architectural design was the 1925 earthquake that razed the majority of Santa Barbara’s public and private dwellings. Following the temblor, an Architectural Board of Review was established and created stringent guidelines that are reflected in the city’s present day Spanish Mediterranean design. Today, restored 19th century adobes blend beautifully with the Mission Revival mansions of Montecito, luxurious beachfront estates and California bungalows, making Santa Barbara’s architecture one of the most recognized in the world.
RED TILE WALKING TOUR
Many of the city’s 70+ designated landmarks are enjoyed via the self-guided Red Tile Walking Tour. Encompassing a 12-block area of downtown, the tour highlights the city’s most fascinating red tile roof landmarks, including the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, Casa de la Guerra, El Paseo and Lobero Theatre. Contact the Santa Barbara County Visitors Bureau for map information.
SPANISH COLONIAL ADOBES
One of best examples of original Spanish Colonial adobe-style architecture is seen in structures that are part of the El Presidio De Santa Barbara Historic Park (1782), part of the last military outpost in California. The largest of the El Presidio buildings, The Presidio Chapel (1788), was reconstructed on its original foundations and contains 18th century-era deacon, including the padres’ and commandants’ quarters with authentically reproduced furniture. A 15-minute slide show and scale model of the El Presidio also gives visitors a fascinating impression of life in Old Spanish California. Located across the street from the Presidio Chapel is Santa Barbara’s oldest adobe El Cuartel (1788) the former residence of Jose Jesus Valenzuela, gatekeeper of the fort during the Mexican period.
Considered one of the most coveted remnants of Santa Barbara’s Spanish-Mexican heritage, Casa de la Guerra (1819-27), a u-shaped adobe built by Jose de la Guerra, ranks among the city’s most famous architectural landmarks. In 1923, Casa de la Guerra was remodeled and became a traditional gathering place for festival art activities. Today, it is a historic house museum reflecting the period of 1828 - 1858 when Don Jose de la Guerra resided in the casa. Other prominent homes in this style: the Hill-Carrillo Adobe (1825-26) at 11 East Carrillo Street, Lugo Adobe (1830) at 114 East De La Guerra Street and Rochin Adobe (1856) at 820 Santa Barbara Street.
THE GRECO-ROMAN INFLUENCE
The most visited landmark of the city is Mission Santa Barbara, was founded in 1786 by the Franciscans. It's known as “Queen of the Missions, designed by architect Antonio Ripoll. This masterpiece showcases the best of Greco-Roman architecture with columns and statuary on top of the cornice. The Mission’s famed Roman sandstone facade is based on a plate in the Spanish edition of Vitruvius’ books and highlights dual bell towers the only California mission to have twin towers. The grand edifice stands on an elevated plateau that commands a view to the ocean, framed by the Riviera and mesa areas. Visitors can attend mass on Sundays and take a self- or docent-led tour through the Mission museum, lush gardens, courtyards, chapel and cemetery where 4,000 Chumash Indians are buried.
A MASTERPIECE IN MISSION REVIVAL
What is distinct about Santa Barbara architecture is its blend of century-old adobe houses, renowned mission churches and luscious tropical horticulture. Out of these ingredients evolved one of America’s first major regional architectural styles Mission Revival. Since the early 1890s, Mission Revival has drawn upon the California missions for stylistic inspiration.
One of the foremost architects of this style was Arthur Page Brown. His residential works, five Crocker Row (1894-95) homes on Garden Street, highlight such design elements as ornate scalloped window detailing and pointed arched windows. One of the best-known features of Crocker Row is a 300-pound metal dog named Rover that stands guard at 2010 Garden Street. Another great architect of this design style was Francis W. Wilson. Wilson’s Southern Pacific Railroad Depot (1905), now the Amtrak station, is one of Santa Barbara’s few remaining structures in this style, located next to the historic Moreton Bay Fig Tree the nation’s largest on Chapala Street.
SPANISH COLONIAL REVIVAL
Many of Santa Barbara’s public and private structures were designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style prior to the 1925 earthquake. Key examples include the Santa Barbara News-Press building, City Hall, El Paseo, Montecito Country Club and the Santa Barbara Cemetery Chapel. Following the earthquake, Spanish Revival became the predominant style of architecture and the majority of the city’s commercial downtown area is rebuilt with this design in mind. The most important 20th century building in Santa Barbara, second only to the Mission Santa Barbara in overall architectural significance, is the Spanish-Moorish Santa Barbara County Courthouse (1927-29), designed by architect William Moser.
The ornate edifice is considered one of the most impressive Spanish Colonial Revival designs in the United States. The Roman triumphal arch, its most dramatic feature, provides a view of Santa Barbara foothills and leads to the central courtyard and sunken gardens. Other decorative features include the sandstone entrance, theatrical tiled staircases, ornate sculpture and open loggia corridors. Don’t miss the Mural Room on the second floor which houses a stunning life size mural of the history of Santa Barbara by Dan Sayre Grosbeck, scenic designer for Cecil B. De Mille, and the 85 ft. clock tower with panoramic views of the city.
Santa Barbara Courthouse & Interior Mural
Another testimony to Revival design and one that exudes the spirit and charm of an old world plaza is the famed El Paseo (1922-24), originally designed by architects James Osborne Craig and then Mary Craig. Visitors will delight in this charming complex where they can relax in the famed “Street in Spain” courtyard and quaint passageways, all of which partially encompass the historic De La Guerra Adobe. El Paseo became the first major step taken in converting Santa Barbara’s architecture from Anglo Main Street to Hispanic Pueblo.
Other classic examples of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture can be seen in the design of two landmarks by architect Reginald Johnson. One is the United States Post Office (1936-37), which looks more like a palace than a government building, with decorative motifs derived from the popular Moderne style. The other, which typifies the acme of Santa Barbara’s gracious living, is the aristocratic Four Seasons Biltmore Resort. Credited as being one of the most distinctive buildings in Santa Barbara, the Arlington Center for the Performing Arts (1930-31) is clearly a great monument of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. One forerunner of this style was architect James Pluckett who, in the late 1920s, was commissioned to design a grand-style theater. The Arlington’s ornate detailing includes a magnificent spire towering above the city, a gracefully arched loggia, a mock Spanish village sketched along the interior walls and an elliptically vaulted “star-studded” ceiling that creates an illusory night sky.
No other Santa Barbara architect worked in the Spanish Colonial style more than architect George Washington Smith. Even today, his name is synonymous with this architectural style, making the city one of the most beautiful and unique in the country. Smith was primarily known for his residential designs, but also designed the oldest continuously operating theater in California: The Lobero Theatre (1924) on Canon Perdido Street. Along with architect Lutah Riggs, the duo created a graceful three-tiered cultural design using bricks from the original opera house for the adobe walls featuring a 70-foot high stagehouse. Smith is also credited with designing the Andalusian style Casa del Herrero (1925), an 11-acre estate in Montecito. This home has been preserved as a living museum for the display of architecture, decorative arts and an elaborate Moorish garden. Its treasures include colorful Mediterranean tile, Spanish doors and window shutters, corbels and a ceiling from a 15th century convent. A vast array of tools and silversmithing devices can be seen in the 1,000-square foot workshop adjacent to the home. Reservations required.
Another outstanding Santa Barbara landmark is Casa Dorinda (1919). In 1916, Henry W.H. Bliss and wife Anna Dorinda Blaksley purchased 48 acres for their future residence and commissioned architect Carlton Winslow to design a Spanish Colonial style home, and one of the largest mansions in Montecito was born. Today, it is a retirement community; private tours are available.
VINTAGE VICTORIAN TO CALIFORNIA CRAFTSMAN
Santa Barbara is long known for its creative mix of bed and breakfast properties 15 in all that run the gamut from vintage Italianate to California Craftsman. Victorian architecture was also a popular style throughout the 19th century in Santa Barbara. Great stops include the The Cheshire Cat Inn, which boasts two 1894 Victorian structures, the Simpson House Inn (1874), which sports an Italianate Victorian design and the Italianate The Upham Hotel (1871-71), built for banker Amasa Lyman Lincoln. The stately two-story property is a clapboard structure with a horizontal roofline and design elements reminiscent of New England, including carved cornice pieces, brackets and cupolas.
Though Santa Barbara is a blend of many architectural styles, visitors and residents alike identify it with the cool broad patios, thick adobe walls and trademark fiery tiled roofs and floors. These attributes distinguish Santa Barbara as one of America’s great architectural cities.
STEARNS WHARF & MARITIME MUSEUM
Located at the north end of the harbor, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum shares space with upscale restaurants, gift store and nearby slips for boat rentals, sailing and cruises to Channel Islands. Downtown Santa Barbara is within walking distance to many shops, hotels and restaurants. Stearns Wharf a major Santa Barbara landmark, is located at the foot of State St. Built in 1872 it is the oldest operating wharf on the West Coast. Today it is the site for the Sea Center Museum, fishing pier, gift shops, seafood market, and several restaurants.
The Friendly Whales in
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara’s Premier Charterboat…Whale Watching, Party Cruises, & More
The Santa Barbara Channel is famous for its year round whale population. Over 27 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises come into the channel at different times of the year, making this area one of the top whale watching areas in the world. By far the most popular of these critters is the humpback whale, known for friendly and often bizarre behavior. They regularly approach boats and people, sometimes playing with them for an hour at a time - behavior we call mugging because when they are all around us we can’t leave for fear of hurting the animals – they hold us hostage, and are definitely crowd pleasers.
The interesting thing is that it seems to be a Santa Barbara phenomenon. I also have a boat in Cabo San Luca and go there nearly every month to fish. The same whales we see in the Santa Barbara Channel are in Mexican waters during the southern part of their range. I see humpbacks on nearly every trip, but I’ve never seen friendly behavior, certainly not mugging, in Cabo. Why the difference in behavior? I think the humpbacks in the south are busy mating and calving, behaviors we seldom see in the north. What we do see is feeding. The animals come north to feed where the anchovies, sardines and krill are abundant in the Santa Barbara Channel. And, since their stomachs can only hold around 500 pounds of food at a time, when food is plentiful they get their fill in a short time – and have to wait for a couple of hours for it to digest before they can feed again. During the wait there’s not much to do so they mug the passengers aboard the CONDOR Express. It’s great whale watching.
While humpback whales can be seen at any time of the year in Santa Barbara, the peak months for viewing are May, June, July and August. (See the whale calendar on our website at Also available at this time of year are the giant blue whales, the largest animal ever to have lived on this planet, as well as fin whales, minke whales and many species of dolphins and porpoises. Someone once said it’s like cetacean soup out here.
CONDOR Express
677 Miramonte Dr.
Santa Barbara, Ca 93109
805-965-1985 voice
805-965-0942 fax
www.condorcruises.com
California Life Magazine
California Tour & Travel Magazine
SANTA BARBARA •
THE AMERICAN RIVIERA
From the early days of the Chumash Indians to the influx of the Franciscans, Santa Barbara’s architecture represents a fusion of Mediterranean, Spanish, early Californian, Mexican, Moorish and English Country design styles. Many architects have made an imprint on Santa Barbara, leaving a rich legacy of multiple cultures and designs throughout the county. Low-pitched tile roofs, porcelain plaster walls, arched facades, enclosed garden courtyards and wrought iron embellishments strewn with bougainvillea are common threads that link the city. Today, Santa Barbara fuses more of these design elements than anywhere else in the country.A major turning point in the city’s architectural design was the 1925 earthquake that razed the majority of Santa Barbara’s public and private dwellings. Following the temblor, an Architectural Board of Review was established and created stringent guidelines that are reflected in the city’s present day Spanish Mediterranean design. Today, restored 19th century adobes blend beautifully with the Mission Revival mansions of Montecito, luxurious beachfront estates and California bungalows, making Santa Barbara’s architecture one of the most recognized in the world.
RED TILE WALKING TOUR
Many of the city’s 70+ designated landmarks are enjoyed via the self-guided Red Tile Walking Tour. Encompassing a 12-block area of downtown, the tour highlights the city’s most fascinating red tile roof landmarks, including the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, Casa de la Guerra, El Paseo and Lobero Theatre. Contact the Santa Barbara County Visitors Bureau for map information.
SPANISH COLONIAL ADOBES
One of best examples of original Spanish Colonial adobe-style architecture is seen in structures that are part of the El Presidio De Santa Barbara Historic Park (1782), part of the last military outpost in California. The largest of the El Presidio buildings, The Presidio Chapel (1788), was reconstructed on its original foundations and contains 18th century-era deacon, including the padres’ and commandants’ quarters with authentically reproduced furniture. A 15-minute slide show and scale model of the El Presidio also gives visitors a fascinating impression of life in Old Spanish California. Located across the street from the Presidio Chapel is Santa Barbara’s oldest adobe El Cuartel (1788) the former residence of Jose Jesus Valenzuela, gatekeeper of the fort during the Mexican period.
Considered one of the most coveted remnants of Santa Barbara’s Spanish-Mexican heritage, Casa de la Guerra (1819-27), a u-shaped adobe built by Jose de la Guerra, ranks among the city’s most famous architectural landmarks. In 1923, Casa de la Guerra was remodeled and became a traditional gathering place for festival art activities. Today, it is a historic house museum reflecting the period of 1828 - 1858 when Don Jose de la Guerra resided in the casa. Other prominent homes in this style: the Hill-Carrillo Adobe (1825-26) at 11 East Carrillo Street, Lugo Adobe (1830) at 114 East De La Guerra Street and Rochin Adobe (1856) at 820 Santa Barbara Street.
THE GRECO-ROMAN INFLUENCEA MASTERPIECE IN MISSION REVIVAL
What is distinct about Santa Barbara architecture is its blend of century-old adobe houses, renowned mission churches and luscious tropical horticulture. Out of these ingredients evolved one of America’s first major regional architectural styles Mission Revival. Since the early 1890s, Mission Revival has drawn upon the California missions for stylistic inspiration.
One of the foremost architects of this style was Arthur Page Brown. His residential works, five Crocker Row (1894-95) homes on Garden Street, highlight such design elements as ornate scalloped window detailing and pointed arched windows. One of the best-known features of Crocker Row is a 300-pound metal dog named Rover that stands guard at 2010 Garden Street. Another great architect of this design style was Francis W. Wilson. Wilson’s Southern Pacific Railroad Depot (1905), now the Amtrak station, is one of Santa Barbara’s few remaining structures in this style, located next to the historic Moreton Bay Fig Tree the nation’s largest on Chapala Street.
Many of Santa Barbara’s public and private structures were designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style prior to the 1925 earthquake. Key examples include the Santa Barbara News-Press building, City Hall, El Paseo, Montecito Country Club and the Santa Barbara Cemetery Chapel. Following the earthquake, Spanish Revival became the predominant style of architecture and the majority of the city’s commercial downtown area is rebuilt with this design in mind. The most important 20th century building in Santa Barbara, second only to the Mission Santa Barbara in overall architectural significance, is the Spanish-Moorish Santa Barbara County Courthouse (1927-29), designed by architect William Moser.
Santa Barbara Courthouse & Interior Mural
Other classic examples of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture can be seen in the design of two landmarks by architect Reginald Johnson. One is the United States Post Office (1936-37), which looks more like a palace than a government building, with decorative motifs derived from the popular Moderne style. The other, which typifies the acme of Santa Barbara’s gracious living, is the aristocratic Four Seasons Biltmore Resort. Credited as being one of the most distinctive buildings in Santa Barbara, the Arlington Center for the Performing Arts (1930-31) is clearly a great monument of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. One forerunner of this style was architect James Pluckett who, in the late 1920s, was commissioned to design a grand-style theater. The Arlington’s ornate detailing includes a magnificent spire towering above the city, a gracefully arched loggia, a mock Spanish village sketched along the interior walls and an elliptically vaulted “star-studded” ceiling that creates an illusory night sky.
No other Santa Barbara architect worked in the Spanish Colonial style more than architect George Washington Smith. Even today, his name is synonymous with this architectural style, making the city one of the most beautiful and unique in the country. Smith was primarily known for his residential designs, but also designed the oldest continuously operating theater in California: The Lobero Theatre (1924) on Canon Perdido Street. Along with architect Lutah Riggs, the duo created a graceful three-tiered cultural design using bricks from the original opera house for the adobe walls featuring a 70-foot high stagehouse. Smith is also credited with designing the Andalusian style Casa del Herrero (1925), an 11-acre estate in Montecito. This home has been preserved as a living museum for the display of architecture, decorative arts and an elaborate Moorish garden. Its treasures include colorful Mediterranean tile, Spanish doors and window shutters, corbels and a ceiling from a 15th century convent. A vast array of tools and silversmithing devices can be seen in the 1,000-square foot workshop adjacent to the home. Reservations required.
Another outstanding Santa Barbara landmark is Casa Dorinda (1919). In 1916, Henry W.H. Bliss and wife Anna Dorinda Blaksley purchased 48 acres for their future residence and commissioned architect Carlton Winslow to design a Spanish Colonial style home, and one of the largest mansions in Montecito was born. Today, it is a retirement community; private tours are available.
VINTAGE VICTORIAN TO CALIFORNIA CRAFTSMAN
Santa Barbara is long known for its creative mix of bed and breakfast properties 15 in all that run the gamut from vintage Italianate to California Craftsman. Victorian architecture was also a popular style throughout the 19th century in Santa Barbara. Great stops include the The Cheshire Cat Inn, which boasts two 1894 Victorian structures, the Simpson House Inn (1874), which sports an Italianate Victorian design and the Italianate The Upham Hotel (1871-71), built for banker Amasa Lyman Lincoln. The stately two-story property is a clapboard structure with a horizontal roofline and design elements reminiscent of New England, including carved cornice pieces, brackets and cupolas.
Though Santa Barbara is a blend of many architectural styles, visitors and residents alike identify it with the cool broad patios, thick adobe walls and trademark fiery tiled roofs and floors. These attributes distinguish Santa Barbara as one of America’s great architectural cities.
STEARNS WHARF & MARITIME MUSEUM
Located at the north end of the harbor, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum shares space with upscale restaurants, gift store and nearby slips for boat rentals, sailing and cruises to Channel Islands. Downtown Santa Barbara is within walking distance to many shops, hotels and restaurants. Stearns Wharf a major Santa Barbara landmark, is located at the foot of State St. Built in 1872 it is the oldest operating wharf on the West Coast. Today it is the site for the Sea Center Museum, fishing pier, gift shops, seafood market, and several restaurants.
The Friendly Whales in
Santa Barbara
by Capt Fred Benko of the CONDOR Express
The Santa Barbara Channel is famous for its year round whale population. Over 27 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises come into the channel at different times of the year, making this area one of the top whale watching areas in the world. By far the most popular of these critters is the humpback whale, known for friendly and often bizarre behavior. They regularly approach boats and people, sometimes playing with them for an hour at a time - behavior we call mugging because when they are all around us we can’t leave for fear of hurting the animals – they hold us hostage, and are definitely crowd pleasers.
The interesting thing is that it seems to be a Santa Barbara phenomenon. I also have a boat in Cabo San Luca and go there nearly every month to fish. The same whales we see in the Santa Barbara Channel are in Mexican waters during the southern part of their range. I see humpbacks on nearly every trip, but I’ve never seen friendly behavior, certainly not mugging, in Cabo. Why the difference in behavior? I think the humpbacks in the south are busy mating and calving, behaviors we seldom see in the north. What we do see is feeding. The animals come north to feed where the anchovies, sardines and krill are abundant in the Santa Barbara Channel. And, since their stomachs can only hold around 500 pounds of food at a time, when food is plentiful they get their fill in a short time – and have to wait for a couple of hours for it to digest before they can feed again. During the wait there’s not much to do so they mug the passengers aboard the CONDOR Express. It’s great whale watching.
While humpback whales can be seen at any time of the year in Santa Barbara, the peak months for viewing are May, June, July and August. (See the whale calendar on our website at Also available at this time of year are the giant blue whales, the largest animal ever to have lived on this planet, as well as fin whales, minke whales and many species of dolphins and porpoises. Someone once said it’s like cetacean soup out here.
CONDOR Express
677 Miramonte Dr.
Santa Barbara, Ca 93109
805-965-1985 voice
805-965-0942 fax
www.condorcruises.com
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Vintage California • Visitor Centers • Whale Watching
Noteworthy… California Book Reviews • Special Feature: California Native Culture - Julia & Lucy Parker
NEW! Go to California Tour & Travel Magazine
Advertising & Marketing • California Photo Album
Contact /Request
