The Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation (SBTHP) works to preserve, restore, reconstruct and interpret historic sites in Santa Barbara County. SBTHP operates El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park, Santa Barbara’s 18th century birthplace, under a unique agreement with California State Parks. SBTHP also owns and operates Casa de la Guerra, the 1820s home of Presidio Comandante José de la Guerra and his family and Jimmy’s Oriental Gardens, a former family-run Chinese restaurant built in 1947. SBTHP maintains a conservation easement over the historic shopping center and office complex, El Paseo, in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, and operates the Santa Inés Mission Mills property near the town of Solvang through an arrangement with California State Parks.
This blog provides a way to keep you informed about our work. To learn more about SBTHP please visit www.sbthp.org.
SBTHP: I found your site yesterday, I was pleased to find the preservation work you all have done regarding pioneering families who founded El Presidio. I am the 2nd great grandson of Maria Nicolasa Pico and Jose Ascencio Espinosa (Presidio soldier-1825). I am very interested in finding out about their lives in Santa Barbara. I hope that I can assist you in any way I can. John Gascoigne – Banning, CA