Santa Barbara County Courthouse, County courthouse in Santa Barbara, United States.
The Santa Barbara County Courthouse is a Spanish Colonial Revival complex of white stucco walls and red tile roofs arranged around a grassy courtyard. A tall square tower with a pyramidal roof rises above a two-story wing, and a broad staircase with white risers and red treads leads to a terrace beside a palm tree. Inside, the Mural Room has a dark wood coffered ceiling, painted murals of figures and ships, a brass chandelier, and rows of wooden benches facing a dais.
Construction began in 1926 on the site of the 1872 Greek Revival courthouse, which the 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake had damaged. The William Mooser Company of San Francisco designed the building in a Spanish-Andalusian castle style. It was completed in March 1929 and dedicated on August 14, 1929, originally housing the superior court, jail and county offices.
The former Board of Supervisors Assembly Room, now the Mural Room, covers over 4,200 square feet; illustrator and Hollywood set designer Dan Sayre Groesbeck painted its walls with scenes such as Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo's 1542 landing and the founding of Mission Santa Barbara. Italian artist Giovanni Smeraldi painted the ceilings. The courthouse is a popular spot for weddings, including that of Kamala Harris in 2014.
The 85-foot El Mirador clock tower is reached by elevator and has labeled photographs showing the view in each direction. The Mural Room, Hall of Records and sunken garden are open to visitors while court is in session. Volunteer docents staff an information desk on the first floor and lead daily tours; they began guiding in May 1974.
The building continues to function as an active court location while tourists can simultaneously explore its spaces. This combination makes it a place where history and modern government operations coexist within the same walls.
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