Cate School Volunteers help Brighten the Day with Whitewashing at El Presidio de Santa Barbara SHP

by Michael Imwalle

On Thursday January 30, 2013 fifteen energetic volunteers from Cate School assisted SBTHP Maintenance Supervisor Eduardo Garcia with whitewashing the area behind the Cañedo Adobe, Padre’s Quarters and Chapel at El Presidio de Santa Bárbara  State Historic Park.  Eduardo has been periodically patching areas where the mud plaster has weathered or fallen off of the underlying adobe. After completing the patching of the mud plaster, Eduardo prepared the site with a protective layer of paper and sand in advance of our visitors.

Cate School staffers Will Holmes and Jay Dorian arrived with student volunteers Jeffrey Chen, Edward Cho, Abraham Tall, Rainbow Wang, Chris Wilkinson, Lauren Zahm, Alex Anderson, Brewer Ballard, Lane Bhutani, Grace Dickman, Jesse Gavin, Chris Powell, and Carlos Fairbanks.

SBTHP Maintenance Supervisor Eduardo Garcia mixing a fresh batch of lime whitewash for Cate School volunteers. Photo by Mchael H. Imwalle

Cate School volunteers whitewashing the rear buttresses of the Presidio Chapel. Photo by Michael H. Imwalle

Student volunteers touching up the demonstration horno behind the padre’s quarters. Photo by Michael H. Imwalle

SBTHP Maintenance Supervisor Eduardo Garcia (left) with the Cate School crew. Photo by Brittany Avila.

Students and staff carefully whitewashed around the painted doors and windows of the 1940s addition to the rear of Cañedo adobe. They also finished the back wall of the padre’s quarters, the rear buttresses and back wall of the Presidio Chapel, and the horno for the first time in several years.

Michael Imwalle is the archaeologist at the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation.