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Casa de la Guerra

Santa Barbara, United States of America

Casa de la Guerra

The Casa de la Guerra was the residence of the fifth commandant of the Presidio de Santa Barbara, José de la Guerra y Noriega, founder of the Guerra family of California (a prominent Californio family) from 1828 until his death in 1858. Descendants of José lived in the home until 1943. The site is c

urrently owned and operated by the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation as a historic house museum. The address is 15 East De la Guerra Street, Santa Barbara, California. The time when José lived in the casa it was known to locals as the casa grande (big house), as the thirteen room structure dwarfed the surrounding one room adobes. In the casa grande period, José added the altito structure. The altito structure no longer stands, but acted as José's office and was where he stored his money. The 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake did significant damage to the residence, and due to José's declining health, his son Pablo spearheaded renovations. Pablo's renovations reflected the change in style in the Santa Barbara area, modifying the home to give it a Victorian appearance. The most significant changes in this time were the removal of the adobe columns in favor of wooden columns and the...

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