National Register of Historic Places in Santa Barbara County

National Register #77000346: El Paseo and Casa de la Guerra Casa de la Guerra

National Register #77000346: El Paseo and Casa de la Guerra
El Paseo de la Guerra

National Register #77000346: El Paseo and Casa de la Guerra
Casa de la Guerra & El Paseo de la Guerra

National Register #77000346: El Paseo and Casa de la Guerra

13 March 2017
(Click Photos to Zoom)

National Register #77000346: El Paseo and Casa de la Guerra José de la Guerra descendants at the Casa.
Date Unknown
Courtesy Black Gold Cooperative Library System
(Click Photo to Zoom)

National Register #77000346
El Paseo and Casa de la Guerra
15 East de la Guerra Street
Santa Barbara
Casa Built 1819
El Paseo Built 1922

The adobe residence, Casa de la Guerra, was built between 1818 and 1828 with Indian labor for José de la Guerra, the fifth comandante of the Presidio. In addition to his military post, de la Guerra acquired four large ranchos, ran an active commercial trade enterprise and served as the patriarch for the local community.

His descendants occupied the building until 1943.

The adobe house was the site of many important 19th century events including community festivals, religious celebrations, weddings and visits by explorers, dignitaries and merchants. In his book, Two Years Before the Mast, Richard Henry Dana described the wedding of de la Guerra's daughter Anita to Alfred Robinson:

"The bride's father's house was the principal one in the place, with a large court in front, upon which a tent was built, capable of containing several hundred people. On these occasions no invitations are given, but everyone is expected to come."

In 1857, the house was altered to repair damage caused by the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake.

between 1910 and 1914, the house was remodeled again to restore the adobe exterior, add electricity and introduce craftsman-style finishes.

In 1922, Bernhard Hoffman began constructing the El Paseo complex behind the Casa and adapted two wings of the home into shops. El Paseo was designed in the popular Spanish Colonial Revival Style. The Casa was remodeled to blend with the new design.

Following the 1925 earthquake, the Casa and El Paseo served as models for rebuilding downtown Santa Barbara.

In 1971, El Paseo and Casa de la Guerra were donated to the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation. During the 1990s, the Trust restored the Casa building to its appearance between 1828 and 1858.

Source: Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation

When we photographed the Casa de la Guerra in March of 2017, it housed a museum run by the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation.

Historic Adobe Buildings

Alvarado Adobe in Monterey
Alvarado Adobe in San Pablo
Anza House in San Juan Bautista
Boronda Adobe in Salinas
Branciforte Adobe in Santa Cruz

Caledonia Adobe in San Miguel
Casa Amesti in Monterey
Casa Covarrubias in Santa Barbara
Casa de la Guerra in Santa Barbara
Casa de la Torre in Monterey

Casa del Oro in Monterey
Castro Adobe near Watsonville
Castro Adobe Site in El Cerrito
Castro House in San Juan Bautista
Chew Kee Store in Fiddletown

Cooper-Molera Adobe in Monterey
Dallidet Adobe in San Luis Obispo
Dana Adobe in Nipomo
Don Fernando Pacheco Adobe in Concord
Don Salvio Pacheco Adobe in Concord

El Adobe de los Robles Near Lemoore
Estrella Adobe Church in Paso Robles
Fremont Adobe in Monterey
French Consulate in Monterey
General Sherman's Quarters in Monterey

Groveland Hotel in Groveland
Gutiérrez Adobe in Monterey
Hastings Adobe near Collinsville

Hill-Carrillo Adobe in Santa Barbara
House of Four Winds in Monterey
Ide Adobe in Red Bluff
Janssens-Orella Adobe House Site in Santa Barbara
Juarez Adobe in Napa

Kottinger Adobe Barn in Pleasanton
Larkin House in Monterey
Latter Day Saints Chuch in Moab, Utah
Leese-Fitch Adobe in Sonoma
Locke Adobe Barn in Lockeford
Martinez Adobe in Martinez

Merritt Adobe in Monterey
Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma
Mountain View Adobe in Mountain View
Moraga Adobe in Orinda
Nash Adobe in Sonoma

Old Adobe Barn in La Grange
Oreña Adobe in Santa Barbara
Peña Adobe near Vacaville
Petaluma Adobe near Petaluma
Plaza Hall in San Juan Bautista

Plaza Hotel in San Juan Bautista
Rancho Los Alamos in Santa Barbara
Ray Adobe in Sonoma
Reading Adobe Site near Cottonwood
Roberto-Suñol Adobe in San Jose
Robert Louis Stevenson House in Monterey

Shafer House in Moab, Utah
Sobranes Adobe in Monterey
Sonoma Barracks in Sonoma
Stokes Adobe in Monterey
Stone and Kelsey Adobe Site in Kelseyville
Sugg House in Sonora
Sun Sub Wo Co. in Coulterville

Sutter's Fort Adobe in Sacramento
Swift Adobe Site near Orland
Swiss Hotel in Sonoma
The Fort in Taft
Trussell-Winchester Adobe in Santa Barbara

Vallejo Adobe in Sonoma
Vásquez House in Monterey

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