The Santa Barbara County Courthouse, California captures all of the charm inherent in the vernacular architecture of Andalusian Spain. In particular the walled farmhouses from a bygone era.

The courthouse with its surrounding gardens occupies an entire city block. It forms an uneven-sided "U" shape and the sixty foot setbacks from the street mitigate its massive scale.

As early as 1919 design competitions were launched to replace the existing courthouse built in 1875. The first and second prize went to entries that were in a Spanish idiom but this didn’t result in the construction of a new building. An earthquake in 1925 gave the matter more urgency.

J. Wilmer Hershey made some rough sketches based on the informal rural style of Andalusia and these were the basis for the final design developed by William Mooser & Company. Another key contribution to the project was the inclusion of Mooser’s son as site manager. William Mooser III was trained in architecture at the Ecole des Beau-Arts in Paris and had lived in Spain, Italy and France for seventeen years.

The design of the courthouse relies on similarity of materials and variation of design motifs rather than a symmetry of forms. Characteristics such as thick, white plastered walls, loggias, exterior staircases, towers, repetitive windows, iron grille work for windows, balcony railings and gates, decorative tile and red-roof tiles provide some cohesion. Variations exist in the treatment of rooflines, entrances and windows.

The Santa Barbara Courthouse is a city landmark and has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Volunteer staff run tours of the building and there are great views of the town from the clock tower.

REFERENCE:
The Santa Barbara County Courthouse
Patricia Gebhard and Kathryn Masson, Daniel & Daniel Publishers, Santa Barbara, 2001