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Tour the Santa Barbara Courthouse
Since my move to Carpinteria, a small town in the County of Santa Barbara, I’ve been engrossed in acquainting myself with my new community. Walking my dogs on the beach, exploring local breweries, and discovering new restaurants.
But along the way I realized that I didn’t really know Santa Barbara or its historical tapestry. So, I am on a mission (pun intended) to get to know the area.
My first tour was of the Santa Barbara Courthouse. What an amazing hour! You can take a self-guided tour, but I was lucky enough to spend the hour with a docent who showed me all the hidden secrets! My picturesque tour included a light history of Santa Barbara, stories of Spanish-inspired architecture, a walk through the gardens, the Mural Room, Clock Tower, Clock Room and stunning views of the region.
Click here for more information about tours and tour times.
Tour The Santa Barbara Courthouse - History of the Santa Barbara Courthouse
Walking up to the Santa Barbara Courthouse is stunning. The Spanish Andalusian architecture is spectacular and the sweeping green lawns are the perfect foundation. But it wasn’t always that way.
The original courthouse was built in 1872 in a Greek Revival design, but by 1919 the County recognized the need to rebuild, the area was growing rapidly and the little courthouse could not accommodate the region’s needs. The County even went as far as to commission an architecture contest. Finalist were chose, but the funds were lacking. The small courthouse would have to make do.
In 1925 a massive earthquake shook the region. Santa Barbara County is located on the Pacific Rim, also known as the Ring of Fire, which is geologically the most active place on earth. Much of the original courthouse was destroyed, providing the needed impetus for change.
Construction began on the new Santa Barbara Courthouse in 1926 and finished in 1929. Just months later the American stock market crashed and the final installments were left unpaid. Fortunately, oil was struck in 1928 and an oil tax helped pay off the debts.
Tour The Santa Barbara Courthouse - Architecture
During the turn of the 20th century, an architectural renaissance swept through regions steeped in Spanish heritage. Mission and Spanish Colonial Revival styles gained immense popularity, evoking a sense of cultural continuity and historical homage. Reflecting this movement, the Santa Barbara Courthouse’s design was specified by the Board of Supervisors to embrace Spanish Andalusian aesthetics, a captivating variant of the broader Spanish Colonial Revival genre.
The courthouse is a harmonious blend of Spanish-Moorish design elements seamlessly interwoven together. The distinctive, red-tiled roofs, intricate stucco embellishments, the asymmetric arches with various tiles, art and religion mixed together.
Tour The Santa Barbara Courthouse - The Courthouse Clocktower
The courthouse’s most iconic feature, the clock tower, soars to an impressive height of 85 feet. From this vantage point, you can see sweeping panoramas encompassing the cityscape, the Pacific Ocean, and the Santa Ynez Mountains.
Tour The Santa Barbara Courthouse - Clock Room
The Clock Room
The clock room at the Santa Barbara Courthouse is an interesting space that houses the inner workings of the courthouse’s iconic clock tower. Located within the tower itself, this room offers a unique glimpse into the mechanical marvel that keeps time for the entire courthouse.
Tour The Santa Barbara Courthouse - Mural Room Secrets
The Mural Room is the Courthouse’s most interesting rooms. It is spectacular and moody with its historical narrative brought to life through exquisite hand-painted murals on the walls. This space serves as a canvas that chronicles the tapestry of Santa Barbara’s past.
The murals artfully lead us through significant historical junctures, commencing with the era of the Chumash Indians. They pay tribute to notable figures like Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, marking Mexico’s liberation from Spanish rule, and the subsequent shift to United States governance after the Mexican American War. Delving deeper, the mural beautifully encapsulates the quintessence of the local economy, showcasing the region’s abundant mineral resources, enduring ranching traditions, thriving agricultural ventures, and the establishment of the original Santa Barbara Mission.
Mural Secrets? If you look closely, you can see the artist added a little 1920’s Hollywood to the murals incorporating both Peter Pan and Robin Hood!
Tour The Santa Barbara Courthouse - The Loggia
The Loggia is an indoor, outdoor walkway that looks down on the sunken garden and across to the sheriffs office and jail. The walls appear to be very thick, but give them a quick knock, they are hollow, made with lathe and plaster.
Tour The Santa Barbara Courthouse - The Rotunda
Moving beyond the Loggia, we encounter the Rotunda, where a circular indoor-outdoor stairway stands. Supported by 16 columns adorned with acanthus leaf designs symbolizing immortality, it’s a captivating architectural feature. This might have been one of my favorite features.
Tour The Santa Barbara Courthouse - The McMahon Law Library
Down the art lined walls, lies the Law Library—a stunning room boasting 30,000 books, a gift from Judge Canfield in 1891 to inaugurate the library within the old courthouse. It is worth a glimpse just to see the Gothic ceiling.
Tour The Santa Barbara Courthouse - Sunken Gardens
Adjacent to the courthouse is the Sunken Gardens, the courthouse’s outdoor auditorium, today it is a lush oasis of tranquility in the heart of the city. The gardens are meticulously landscaped with vibrant flowers, swaying palm trees and a field of Redwoods. The Redwoods were incorporated in 1930 by Pearl Chase. She had five Redwoods planted to honor the five members of the Board of Supervisors. Later in the 1940s Henry Bauernschmidt introduced Palm trees to the gardens, about 35 different species of them, including one California Palm. There are over 70 species of plants on the grounds.
The gardens are open to the public and the city provides movie nights and concerts on the lawns.
Tour The Santa Barbara Courthouse - Hall of Records
The Hall of Records has an impressive entrance marked by its towering 8-by-13-foot doors with 30 copper plates intricately designed through repoussé, a technique where craftsmen hammer the backside.
Inside a meticulously restored 45-foot skylight graces the ceiling.
Because the building is a National Historic Landmark, no architectural updates can be made to the building. Therefore, addressing the need for heat and air conditioning became problematic.
A geothermal system was ingeniously installed. This system employs interior water-based heat pumps, taken from water 400 feet deep in the front lawn, with a constant earth temperature of 69 to 70 degrees. The water is then pumped up into an area in the basement where it can be heated up to 75 degrees or cooled down to manage the air within the building. Place your foot under one of the potted plants inside and you will feel the air.
Tour The Santa Barbara Courthouse - Santa Barbara Courthouse functions:
Beyond its architectural and natural beauty, the Santa Barbara Courthouse has played a significant role in the community. It’s not only a working courthouse with six courtrooms (13 in the neighborhood) but also a venue for weddings, events, and cultural activities.
For more information on how to get married at the Santa Barbara Courthouse – Click Here.
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