Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara County Courthouse
“I googled my symptoms… turned out I just needed to go to Santa Barbara” - Unknown
And that is exactly what I did. Just got into the car, swooped up a friend and lo and behold we were at the County Courthouse in Santa Barbara in a little over an hour to start a wonderful day of wandering.
Today was distinct from the typical State Street and Stearns Wharf that we’ve done many a time though we did go visit the mission which we have visited many a time before.
I had my hiking sticks with me since I had been having a few issues with my knees but as it turned out since this is a federal building still an active courthouse, I could not take them in with me and had to leave them in my car. When I got back, a docent led tour was just starting so it was quite fun to listen to the history of this beautiful place that goes back to when California was still a fledging state and a part of Mexico.
Barely visible in the distance is the local version of the bridge of sighs that allows prisoners to be led from the county jail into the courthouse for trial. The beautiful green in the center is used by the locals as a recreation spot. We arrived in time to watch a group doing Yoga here.
There is an elevator but for maximum impact climb the richly decorated staircase that takes you from the first-floor lobby to the second floor and the mural room. Although some of the tiles are of Spanish design, most with distinctive Moorish-Islamic geometric patterns, are from a Tunisian company.
The ceiling, painted by artist John Smeraldi, is a fine example of Mudejar (moo-DAY-har) style, identified by its geometric designs. The ceiling was inspired by a 14th Century synagogue in Toledo, Spain, and is made of wood planks suspended by cables from the concrete roof above. The eight-pointed star appears in spiritual traditions from many different cultures. It began to appear in Islamic art in the Middle ages, referred to as the “seal of the prophets.”
This large lantern was inspired by the lanterns aboard old Spanish galleons. Called "faroles,” the lanterns were traditionally donated to churches following a successful voyage to the "New World.” The Courthouse lantern, which is more than ten feet tall, has a mechanism in the attic to lower it for maintenance. This is the largest of many custom lanterns throughout the Courthouse.
Asymmetry is a prominent feature of Moorish architecture. These arches are an iconic example. Artist Smeraldi painted the angels in flight above the main arch to resemble Byzantine angels.
In the Mural Room, the ceiling is a copy of the one from the Cathedral of Monreale in Palermo, Sicily where I had been recently. Still need to write up that trip for the blog. Artist Smeraldi used a paint with a copper zinc alloy to simulate gold leaf.
Between the windows are depictions of the local economy – mineral wealth, ranching (‘stock’), and agriculture. Above the windows are stylized versions of major historical influences, the coat of arms of Spain, the emblem of the Order of St. Francis (founders of the California Missions), the California Bear Flag, and the coat of arms of Mexico. In the middle are elements of the Great Seal of the United States.
The iconic Mural Room is a Courthouse highlight, reflecting Santa Barbara’s rich past and roots in Chumash, Spanish, Mexican, and immigrant cultures. Originally the County Supervisors’ Assembly Room, it is now used for weddings, civic and social events. Vice President Kamala Harris was married here.
The courthouse itself is a working courthouse with cases being tried here. We had a chance encounter with a juror as we were wandering around and she shared how interesting it is to be in this courthouse.
On the fourth floor which can be reached by steps or elevator, is the Tower Clock. The walls are painted with the progression of time telling devices starting with sun dials etc. We timed it such that we were able to see the mechanism in action and also hear the bells above the courthouse ring.
From the courthouse we made our way to the area where the Presidio still stands.
And onto the Queen of the Missions. The Santa Barbara Mission is the only mission which has a double story structure. We wandered around outside the mission and grabbed some coffee from a food truck advertising the best coffee in the area before heading out and onward on our mission of exploration for the day.
Ablitt House sitting on a 20X20 square lot near State Street. Google maps seems to end in the middle of a dead end, but it turns out we just needed to cross a hotel parking lot. The building has a distinctive tiled roof and bougainvillea around the tall white walls.
Next stop around the corner was Pistachio House. Even though it was right behind Ablitt House there was no throughfare. With the beautiful simulated tiled rugs this is another fascinating piece of architecture and is a popular Air B&B destination that can be rented by a large enough party.
Our last architectural stop for the day was El Andaluz. We might truly have been in Spain as we wandered around the building admiring the patio and beautiful tiled arches of the bottom floor.
The building was locked. Clearly our planning was a bit lax, as we did not have the means to get in. The patio with its beautiful, tiled fountains and whimsical lanterns.
We still have to visit El Zapato and the Hotel California so perhaps next time we’ll do some advance planning and see if we can set up appointments to actually wander and view the inside of these properties.
The best way to finish a day in Santa Barbara. We stopped at the beautiful Miramar Resort and hotel and ate beachside and soaked in the atmosphere of the sun and the sand.
What a perfect day, close to home and full of adventure.