History
The Casa de la Guerra stands on East De la Guerra Street in downtown Santa Barbara, on the historic plaza that has formed the civic heart of the city since the Spanish period. The house was built between approximately 1819 and 1828 for Jose Antonio de la Guerra y Noriega, the Spanish-born commandant of the Santa Barbara Presidio and one of the most influential figures in Alta California during the late Spanish and Mexican periods. The De la Guerra family used the adobe as their principal residence for several generations, and the building functioned as the social and political center of Santa Barbara in the years before American annexation.
The Casa is a substantial one-story adobe with thick lime-plastered walls, a wood-framed and tile-clad roof, and a U-shaped plan opening onto a deep enclosed patio. Hand-hewn timbers carry the ceilings, and the verandah-lined inner courtyard provides the principal circulation between rooms in the manner of the Spanish-Mexican townhouse. The plan and detailing distinguish the Casa de la Guerra from the simpler linear adobes of the surrounding rancho countryside and align it with the urban Hispanic dwelling type as it had developed in northern New Spain.
Following the 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake, which destroyed much of the city's commercial center, the Casa was incorporated into the planning of El Paseo, a Spanish Colonial Revival commercial and pedestrian complex that helped define Santa Barbara's modern architectural identity. The building was carefully retained within the new development, and its survival shaped the city's commitment to a unified architectural character.
Today the Casa de la Guerra operates as a historic house museum under the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, with interpretive exhibits on the De la Guerra family and Hispanic Santa Barbara. Within California's broader adobe tradition, the Casa de la Guerra is among the most architecturally significant urban adobes of the Spanish and Mexican periods, comparable in importance to the Avila Adobe in Los Angeles and the Larkin House in Monterey.
Common questions
What is Casa de la Guerra?
Casa de la Guerra is a historic Spanish Colonial adobe residence in Santa Barbara, California. It served as the home of José de la Guerra y Noriega, the fifth commandant of the Presidio de Santa Barbara, from 1828 until his death in 1858, and was once known to locals as the casa grande because its thirteen-room footprint dwarfed surrounding one-room adobes.
When was Casa de la Guerra built?
No precise construction year for Casa de la Guerra is preserved in the available records. The historical record establishes that José de la Guerra y Noriega occupied the house beginning in 1828, and that his descendants continued to live there until 1943.
Where is Casa de la Guerra located?
Casa de la Guerra is located at 15 East De la Guerra Street in Santa Barbara, California.
Can you visit Casa de la Guerra?
Yes. Casa de la Guerra is owned and operated by the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation as a historic house museum. Visitors should consult the Trust for current hours and access policies.
Why is Casa de la Guerra historically significant?
Casa de la Guerra is significant as the residence of José de la Guerra y Noriega, founder of the prominent Californio Guerra family and commandant of the Presidio de Santa Barbara. The 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake caused major damage, prompting his son Pablo to lead renovations that introduced Victorian-style elements, including wooden columns in place of the original adobe ones.
