Casa de la Guerra

The patriarch of Santa Barbara, Jose de la Guerra,  completed his adobe home here in 1928.  The casa was one of the largest and most gracious homes of its time where many community celebrations took place.

The home is "U" shaped around a large courtyard.  It was restored from 1990 to 2001 and now is a museum.  The original structure of the home can still be seen in the porch that surrounds the entire exterior of the home fronting the courtyard.  Rawhide strips were used to tie poles to the beams supporting the porch roof which consists of barrel tile.

One of the rooms you can see here was originally a woman's bedroom.  The walls have been restored based upon artifacts found during the restoration with replicas of the original wall paper and wood trim.  There is a door displayed in this room which is covered with a beautifully intricate, painted design.  A women's bedroom at this time was one of the areas of the home where she was free to display those themes most meaningful in her daily life:  religious faith, social status and family pride.  California women at this time were very involved in their faith (the Catholic religion) and often had an alter in their bedrooms along with religious paintings and mementos on the walls.  Needlework and embroidery were important pastimes.  The rest of the home's public areas had a more masculine or neutral appearance depending on the room's particular function.  Members of the family continued to reside here until 1946.

Another room was restored as a store.  Originally, the owners allowed a portion of their home to be used for that purpose also.