Santa Barbara County Notables
Source: Wikipedia
Casa de la Guerra
Source: http://www.sbthp.org/casa.htm
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Casadelaguerrapanorama.jpg
Webpage: http://www.sbthp.org/casa.htm
Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation
Location: 15 East De la Guerra Street, Santa Barbara, CA (Half a
block off State Street)
Hours: Saturday - Sunday, Noon to 4:00 PM
Casa de la Guerra
The Casa de la Guerra
was the residence of the fifth commandant of the Presidio de
Santa Barbara, José de la Guerra y Noriega from 1828 until his
death in 1858. Descendants of José lived in the home until 1943.
The site is currently owned and operated by the Santa Barbara
Trust for Historic Preservation as a historic house museum. The
address is located at 15 East De la Guerra Street, Santa Barbara,
California.
The time when José lived in the casa it was known to locals as
the casa grande (big house), as the thirteen room structure
dwarfed the surrounding one room adobes. In the casa grande
period, José added the altito structure. The altito structure no
longer stands, but acted as José's office and was where he
stored his money.
In 1857, the Fort Tejon earthquake did significant damage to the
residence, and due to José's declining health, his son Pablo
spearheaded renovations. Pablo's renovations reflected the change
in style in the Santa Barbara area, modifying the home to give it
a Victorian appearance. The most significant changes in this time
were the removal of the adobe columns in favor of wooden columns
and the addition of wooden siding to the house.
The Casa is a Santa Barbara City Landmark, a California
Historical Landmark, and is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places.
The house is being restored and furnished to appear as it might
have between 1828 and 1858. The Casa de la Guerra interior is
open to visitors Saturdays and Sundays, although the exterior may
be explored any time.
This page was last updated August 2, 2009.
