Santa Barbara Architecture, a City on a Mission

by SweisKloss
April 15, 2021

June 29, 1925 was a defining moment in the history of Santa Barbara. A devastating earthquake leveled the majority of the downtown corridor. Although disastrous, this event was the impetus for furthering a community movement to have a uniform architectural style. The overall look would become primarily Spanish Colonial Revival and Mission Revival, blending beautifully with other styles, such as Italian Mediterranean, Queen Anne, and English Vernacular and Tudor.

The efforts were led by Bernard Hoffman and Pearl Chase, both devoted to the conservation, preservation, and civic planning of Santa Barbara, which then led to the country’s first architectural review board. And while designers, including us, like to push creatively as much as possible, the strict design standards seem to work for Santa Barbara. There is a captivating, small-town quality upon reaching the El Pueblo Viejo historic district.

Selected as Woman of the Year by the LA Times in 1952, Pearl Chase was truly a preservation pioneer. She was honored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1973. “She made a modern city beautiful, shown a state how to conserve and improve its human and natural resources, became for a nation an exemplar of civic leadership.” (Citation from Mills College on awarding an honorary doctorate to Chase in 1941.)

Bernard Hoffman was heavily involved in the architectural planning of Santa Barbara. Because of the earthquake, Hoffman pushed for the city to adopt its first building codes. During his time as chair of an influential civic agency, he commissioned architects and designers to restore what are the current city hall and De la Guerra Plaza, the designated public square and town center. He served on the Santa Barbara Relief Fund Committee, an organization to raise and distribute funding for the revitalization of the city.

Understanding the architectural history will explain why Santa Barbara is one of our favorite places to visit. Those involved in planning the city made evident their passion for creating a beautiful cityscape along a coastal front. The Hispanic architecture is defined by the abundance of red-tiled roofs, white stucco, wrought iron, and intricate tile work. One of our SweisKloss staff says, “When guests come into town, I always plan a trip to Santa Barbara. I secretly love hearing their oohs and aahs.”