An artist’s rendition in Montecito
George Washington Smith, named for the first U.S. president because of their shared birthday, was a businessman and a painter before he turned, at age 43, to designing homes in Santa Barbara. The former student of architecture at Harvard was attracted to Montecito after he studied art in Europe and then visited California to exhibit paintings at the Panama Pacific Exposition in San Francisco.
From his arrival in Santa Barbara in 1919 until he died in 1930, 54 new or remodeled homes that he designed were completed in Santa Barbara County, according to the African American Registry. This freshly restored home, built in 1930, is one of them.
About this house: World-class craftsmen have preserved the thick plaster walls, terra-cotta floors and carved wood doors, all characteristic of Smith’s style. The owner, who bought the house about four years ago, spent two years restoring the structure and the original gardens, which were designed by Lockwood DeForest. They feature brick pathways, tile benches and fountains.
Asking price: $9.9 million
Size: The one-story home has three bedrooms and 3 1/2 bathrooms in slightly less than 5,000 square feet. The house was built on 1.46 acres; the lot has orchards and a birch grove.
Features: The home includes a one-bedroom guesthouse with an outdoor kitchen and a fireplace. Every room in the main house opens to the gardens or the terrace. Among the original features is a wide gallery with floor-to-ceiling windows. There are some original wrought-iron gates. It also has a pool and spa.
While refurbishing, the owner added air conditioning and heating in four areas. All systems were updated and roll-up copper screens installed on all windows.
Where: Montecito
Listing agent: Lorayne and Linus Huffman, Estates Directors, Coldwell Banker, (805) 565-8111.
To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, please send color interior and exterior photos (copies only; we cannot return the pictures) and a brief description of the house, including what makes the property unusual, to Ruth Ryon, Real Estate Section, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012; or e-mail homeoftheweek@latimes.com.
