Preserving Santa Barbara’s History

On the day of the great 1925 earthquake, George Fox Steedman was visiting Santa Barbara from St. Louis, Missouri, reviewing the progress on the construction of his new home, Casa del Herrero. He was staying at a local hotel, which did not fare well when the earthquake hit, and he likely drove up to the Casa with trepidation as to what he would find. To his astonishment, the “House of the Blacksmith” was perfectly intact, and he moved in that day. 

Nearly a century later, the property remains frozen in time, the historic house and grounds preserved for the benefit of the community. Today, the Casa stands as one of only 2,600 U.S. National Historic Landmarks, a masterpiece of the venerable architect George Washington Smith, and one of California’s best examples of Spanish Revival architecture. The 11-acre property is an icon of the era of the Great Estates of Montecito in the 1920s, and an eclectic mix of Country Place Era and Moorish-inspired gardens created by Ralph Stevens, Lockwood de Forest, and Francis T. Underhill.

“The protection of the estate is not just about preserving the house and grounds, it is also about preserving local history,” says Jessica Tade, Casa del Herrero’s executive director. “The more you engage with the estate, the more you feel the memory and legacy of the family and the continued importance of that connection to the community.” 

Recently, the Casa expanded its outreach through activities that focus on the arts and youth, launching its first-ever summer arts program. Participants from Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, AHA! Santa Barbara, and Youth and Family Services St. George Youth Center Isla Vista came to the Casa to engage in art activities with local artists. The Casa further provided community access to the arts through an outdoor sculpture exhibition comprised of work from local contemporary sculptors and its Feria from Afar online art sale.

“More and more we are looking at how we can expand our mission of preservation and thinking about new ways to make the arts more accessible,” Tade says. “In this way, we hope to support the continued vibrancy of the arts in our community.”