Pearl Chase Society Historic Homes Tour—Editor’s Pick for Spring

Pearl Chase Tour, photo by Steve Crozier

Culley House, photo by Steve Crozier

Several George Washington Smith-designed homes in Montecito take center stage in the annual Pearl Chase Society Historic Homes Tour. Between 1918 and his death in 1930, George Washington Smith designed more than 60 residential and non-residential structures, mostly in Santa Barbara, including a home originally designed for renowned violinist and composer Henry Eichheim, which is included on the tour and features rarely seen frescoes created by the famed Mexican muralist Alfredo Ramos Martinez.

Also on view is the Culley house (pictured), which is a bit of a departure from Smith’s earlier Andalusian-influenced designs, as it’s a rectangular structure with a cantilevered porch more akin to Monterey-style, which shows his influence becoming more Spanish Colonial than old-world Spanish. In addition, the bus-led tour stops at several other homes, where visitors can see Smith’s distinctive aesthetic first hand. Advance reservations are required. May 18, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. PearlChaseSociety.org, 805/961-3938.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in the Spring 2014 issue of Santa Barbara SEASONS Magazine.