Casa de la Guerra

From 1828 until 1943, the Casa de la Guerra served as the home of members of the family of Jose de la Guerra y Noriega, commander of the fifth commandant of the Santa Barbara presidio. The building passed to the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is considered a Santa Barbara City Landmark and a California Historical Landmark. The house has 13 rooms and was known as casa grande when it served as a residence because it was the largest structure in the area. The house was damaged by an earthquake in 1857 and underwent renovations and modernization. It served as a hotbed of social, political, and cultural action in Santa Barbara during its heyday. Today, there is an effort underway to return the house to how it would have looked prior to the earthquake. The interior of the building is open on Saturdays and Sundays from noon until 4 pm for tours and visitors are welcome to explore the exterior throughout the week. The home is operated as a museum and contains period furnishings and historic exhibits. Annually, there are a number of celebrations held at the casa for the community.