Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation (SBTHP)

El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic ParkLearning opportunities and cultural activities are provided annually in the Park, including hosting more than 6,000 guests for a low-cost self-guided tour of the Park; developing exhibitions that enhance the visitor experience; and operating a Research Center that is open to the public by appointment.SBTHP has conducted extensive archaeological investigations of the site of the Presido, the Spanish fort founded in 1782 which is the founding site of the City of Santa Barbara. The resulting collections have been cataloged and stored on site and are available for research. Several portions of the fort have been reconstructed and preservation work has been conducted on key surviving portions. Most recently we have been conducting repair work and restoration planning on several historic resources in the Park from late 19th to the early 20th century. All work is conducted in compliance with the Secretary of Interior Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. A display about the history of the Chinese American family who operated Jimmy's Oriental Gardens (1947) a City Structure of Merit was recently completed.

Santa Ines Mission Mills SBTHP operates this thirty-eight acre State property through a leaseback arrangement with California State Parks, along with an adjacent property owned by SBTHP and another leased from the City of Solvang. Together, the three properties make up a National Register Historic Landmark District. The site contains sensitive archaeological resources related to Mission Santa Ines along with two early 19th century intact stone mill building and two connected stone reservoirs. The organization conducts ongoing preservation and repair work on the historic structures, along with regular maintenance on the surrounding agricultural land. In 2008 SBTHP planted olives trees on the property to help interpret the agricultural history of the site. The organization harvests the olives annually with assistance from community volunteers and presses the olives into oil which it offers for sale to support and raise awareness about the property. The organization is nearing the end of an interim use guidelines planning process with California State Parks which will enable public access to the site.

Casa de la GuerraThe building is a museum devoted to the history of the de la Guerra family and their occupation of the site for three generations and is open to the public four days a week for self-guided tours of furnished rooms and rotating exhibits. Educational programs are conducted at the site to interpret the Mexican American history of the community, including Dia de los Muertos and Una Noche de las Posadas. This adobe has been restored to the appearance of when it was occupied by its original owner, Jose de la Guerra, between 1828 and 1848. To complete the restoration work, SBTHP conducted above-ground archaeology. The collections related to the building have been cataloged and are stored in SBTHP's facilities and are available for research.