Few of Montecito’s legendary estates remain essentially unchanged. The Casa
del Herrero, designed by architect George Washington Smith and completed in
1925, is noted as one of the finest examples of Spanish Colonial Revival
architecture in America, is included on the National Register of Historic
Places, and in January 2009, was designated a National Historic Landmark by
then Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne.
George Fox Steedman, an industrialist, engineer, and amateur architect, had
a vision for the house and grounds that went beyond fashion, and he assembled
an extraordinary team of architects, landscape architects, antiquarians, and
horticulturists to produce the Casa del Herrero estate (House of the
Blacksmith)—recognized today as a masterpiece of the Country Place era. His
participation in every detail of the property’s buildings, furnishings, and
gardens is the reason the estate makes a single artistic statement that is
greater than the sum of its parts. Today the entire 11-acre site is owned and
operated as a historic house museum and garden by the non-profit Casa del
Herrero Foundation, with the goal of preserving the house and grounds, as well
as the family’s collection of antiques, books, sketchbooks, drawings, and
horticultural records.
Tours of the Casa del Herrero house, gardens and workshop are available by
reservation.
We invite you to come experience this graceful Montecito estate ...
“Use well thy
time Fast fly my hours Good work lives
on The night brings
rest”
George Fox Steedman Inscription on four sides of the sundial
Upcoming Events
Croquet
& Croque-Monsieur
Sunday, April 13,
2014
3:00 to 6:00
p.m.
Croquet, you say? Come learn to play from renowned croquet professional Jay
Campbell in the Casa’s lovely east garden!
This leisurely afternoon of sporting also includes a guided tour of the
Casa, delectable croque-monsieur sandwiches, and refreshing Pimm’s Cup
cocktails.
This event is now sold out.
May is Public Gardens Appreciation
Month in Santa Barbara
Friday
May 2, 2014
10 a.m. to noon
and
Friday
May 9, 2014
10 a.m. to noon
Seed Sowing for the Summer
Garden
Learn techniques for
starting plants from
seed, caring for seedlings, and transplanting...
Then take home some seedlings for
your own garden!
This two-hour class
will be taught by the
Casa's own Executive Director, Molly Barker.
Come meet Molly, get your hands in the dirt,
and start something fun in your yard!
Class fee includes
materials:
$40 / person for non-members
$35 / person for Casa
members
Our annual evening garden walk for Casa
members ... Celebrate National Public
Gardens Day by coming on over and
enjoying refreshments and cocktails in
the Casa's gardens at the most beautiful
time of day!
We'll be serving up ice-cold limoncello
made from the organic lemons grown
in the Casa's own orchard!
This event is free for all Casa members,
but
you must reserve your spots in advance.
To RSVP, please call (805) 565-5653 or
email membership@casadelherrero.com.
Friday
May 16, 2014
10 to 11:30 a.m.
and
Friday
May 30, 2014
10 to 11:30 a.m.
Garden Design: Less is
Moorish
A special tour of the
Casa's gardens, led by
by Molly Barker, the Casa's Executive Director.
Molly will speak about
the Casa's important
place within the Golden Age of American
Gardens and the incorporation of
Spanish/Moorish style elements in the
Casa's garden design.
$20 /
person for non-members
$10 / person for Casa members
