Santa Barbara has a busy government that manages the day to day operations of a thriving city and county. One of the advantages of being a county employee is working in the Courthouse, one of the beautiful buildings that house the county’s many departments.
Most cities have nice examples of local architecture to house their government and its many departments but Santa Barbara truly has one of the loveliest buildings in the country. Beautiful and historical, the county’s Courthouse is a stunning example of Spanish architecture as well as a truly elegant place to work.
The current Courthouse was dedicated in 1929, and was a replacement for the smaller Greek-Revival Courthouse damaged in an earthquake the previous year. The dedication ceremony involved the setting of a bronze medallion from the Native Sons of the Golden West and the Supervisors mixed water from each of the California missions with sand and gravel from each of the counties in California as cheering crowds looked on.
The Courthouse complex is huge, with four buildings and about 150,000 square feet. There’s a basement with parking and equipment as well as a jail wing that is no longer used (though the seven story jail tower is one of the most prominent features of the building). The inside has been remodeled several times and historical renovations are constantly underway in many different areas of the complex. As government buildings go, the Courthouse is massive.
One of the most impressive rooms in the Courthouse is the Mural Room. Originally designed as the meeting room for the County Board of Supervisors, the room is now often rented for weddings. There are 6,700 square feet of hand painted Groesbeck murals and an intricately painted ceiling as well as large wrought-iron chandeliers weighing over 1000 pounds each. The room is a favorite stop for tourists from all over the world.
The bushes, flowers, and trees around the Courthouse make up an amazing collection of palms, specimen trees, and exotic plantings from more than twenty-five countries and six continents. Events at the Courthouse are often held outside in the gardens and several of the major cultural events of the year occur on the outside steps. It’s a tradition for audiences to enjoy the lovely environment and inspiring performances while picnicking on the lawn.
Government departments rely on rules and laws to make certain they are running their cities and counties well. But it certainly seems that the work of making sure a county thrives and grows would be more enjoyable in a building as lovely as the Santa Barbara Courthouse.