Casa del Herrero

For almost three decades, José Aguilar, our dedicated head gardener, has been the backbone of our beloved estate. His unwavering commitment and expertise have nurtured the gardens of Casa del Herrero into the breathtaking sanctuary they are today. While this flourishing landscape is a testament to José's exceptional care, extreme weather events have placed a significant strain on our resources in recent years. To effectively manage the influx of rainfall and unwanted plant growth (and maintain the splendor of Casa del Herrero), we find ourselves in need of additional tools and equipment that are both efficient and environmentally friendly. We ask you to join us in our mission to uphold the beauty and heritage of Casa del Herrero by making a tax-deductible donation that will directly impact our gardening efforts. Your gift will equip José and his team with the tools and resources they need to sustain our gardens and estate now and in the future! Ready to help us safeguard and care for this treasured landmark? Click here: https://loom.ly/-DTnq-Y #casadelherrero #horticulture #philanthropy #garden #historiclandmark #sustainability

Last month, we hosted our first Mother's Day Weekend Garden Party in honor of Casa del Herrero's original matriarch, Carrie Steedman. Her passion for gardening and award-winning green thumb have blossomed into a legacy of beauty here at the Casa and it was incredible to have so many people visit the estate to celebrate their family with ours. From the floral-rich design at the main entrance to the thoughtfully-curated food and drinks inspired by the horticultural treasure that sounds us, our garden party was a colorful tribute to the bright future that remains ahead for the former Steedman Estate! Special thanks to our event sponsors and supporters Esbee Montecito, Jenny Huang Bogan, Emma Rose Floral, and Bright Event Rentals for helping make this first-annual event such a tremendous success. Planning to visit? Be sure to book your summer tours now... they're filling up fast! #casadelherrero #georgewashingtonsmith #spanishrevival #spanisharchitecture #architecture #santabarbara #visitsantabarbara #santabarbaraca #visitsb #visitcalifornia #history #historiclandmark #nationalhistoriclandmark

The Casa del Herrero estate is comprised of multiple buildings. Aside from the Main House, our greenhouse and lathhouse are both integral parts of our history that require continued maintenance. Historically, the greenhouse and lathhouse were used to grow seedlings to transplant into the gardens around the estate and we follow those same traditions today. Through our "Preserving Our Past, Protecting Our Future" capital campaign, we seek to fully restore each building to improve their functionality, irrigation system and structural integrity while adding elements of education and cultivation in the process... work inspired by Carrie Steedman's love of flowers and gardening! Not only will this work be done to move us toward a fully sustainable garden, but it will allow us to increase our programming for the community that would focus on gardening, flower arranging, herb use and more. Interested in helping us reach our goal? Visit https://lnkd.in/guqRebuM to learn more and let us know! #greenhouse #philanthropy #spanishrevival #spanisharchitecture #architecture #santabarbara #visitsantabarbara #gardenlovers #horticulture #gardening #history #historiclandmark #plannedgiving

We want to give a special thank you to the Montecito Fire Department and Cuyama Lamb for helping us clear dried and decayed vegetation and branches from the backside of the Casa del Herrero estate this past week. Several of the downed trees, including those that blocked the view of our beautiful Exedra, were a result of severe winter storms which were surrounded by an abundance of vegetation due to all the unusual waterfall. After the large trees and branches were removed, over 400 sheep cleared the overgrown vegetation! You will see this form of ecological land management throughout Montecito over the summer months. The clean up of the debris not only helps us save much needed funds to put towards building and collections conservation, but it also helps us improve and contribute to fire prevention and resiliency in our community. #casadelherrero #georgewashingtonsmith #spanishrevival #spanisharchitecture #architecture #santabarbara #visitsantabarbara #santabarbaraca #visitsb #sustainability #sheep #historiclandmark #nationalhistoriclandmark

Take a piece of the Casa home with you (figuratively, of course!) by snagging some of our newest gift shop items! Ceramic artist, Karen Hirshan, has created ceramic coasters featuring our iconic tile art along with drinkware inspired by the gardens around the estate. These handcrafted items are available now before/after tours or by appointment during the week. These make beautiful, thoughtful gifts for others or they can be added to your own collection. #casadelherrero #georgewashingtonsmith #spanishrevival #spanisharchitecture #architecture #santabarbara #visitsantabarbara #ceramicart #ceramics #ceramic #history #historiclandmark #nationalhistoriclandmark

In April, we had the honor of partnering with Santa Barbara Forge and Iron to bring our historic blacksmith workshop back to life for a unique fundraising event called Ember+Forge. During the event, metalworkers recreated some of George Fox Steedman's iconic pieces found throughout the estate along with other creative items to showcase their craftsmanship and trade. During the event, guests were treated to a rustic barbecue lunch roasted over Mr. Steedman's handmade iron grill along with drinks, light music, and a mini exhibition of his other handmade artifacts and drawings. This event and others are being created on an ongoing basis to introduce people to different spaces of Casa del Herrero in new and exciting ways! #casadelherrero #georgewashingtonsmith #spanishrevival #spanisharchitecture #architecture #santabarbara #visitsantabarbara #sbforge #silversmith #blacksmith #metalwork #blacksmithing

The seasons may change but restoration around the Main House ventures forward! More of the windows from the Casa continue to be refurbished as part of our "Preserving Our Past, Protecting Our Future" capital campaign. Shown here is a before and after view of some windows from the Glassed Sleeping Porch on the back of the Main House that connected the children's room to Carrie's. Look at the color difference... stunning! To learn more about how you can help us in our efforts to preserve and protect this historic gem, visit https://lnkd.in/guqRebuM #casadelherrero #georgewashingtonsmith #spanishrevival #spanisharchitecture #architecture #santabarbara #visitsantabarbara #fundraising #capitalcampaign #philanthropy #history #historiclandmark #nationalhistoriclandmark

Earlier this week, we had the pleasure of hearing from Valerie Rice at our latest Medora’s Book Club. The author of “Lush Life”, Valerie shared the story of how her pandemic passion project came to be along with personal stories about her family’s travels and how each one influenced her “California dream of a cookbook”! Guests enjoyed samples of two drinks from the book, Strawberry Mezcal Margarita and Gin Salty Dog, and received autographed (and personalized!) copies of the book to take and enjoy at home. Moderated by Sheraton Kaluria, the discussion and Q&A touched on the vast array of foods and ingredients that are available in Santa Barbara representing cultures from around the world! Our next Medora’s Book Club takes place in June and features “Mercy Street,” a reschedule from our book event in March we lost due to weather! Visit our Event Calendar on our website to learn more! #casadelherrero #georgewashingtonsmith #spanishrevival #spanisharchitecture #architecture #santabarbara #visitsantabarbara #santabarbaraca #visitsb #visitcalifornia #history #historiclandmark #nationalhistoriclandmark

On Friday, we held our recent Steedman Silver Dinner in the dining room of Casa del Herrero. The intimate, sold out group included some new and familiar faces to the estate! Natalie Sanderson, our new Director of Collections, Conservation, and Exhibitions, introduced the Steedman Workshop to dinner attendees along with details on our treasured Silver Collection and how it came to be. Outlining how Mr. Steedman brought his creative dreams to realty is a very similar story as what we are doing at the Casa today. Our tours, events, programming, and capital campaign all point to our 100 year anniversary in 2025 and well into the future. Our next fundraising dinner, the Steedman Wine Dinner, takes place June 7. Visit our Events Calendar on our website to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gxFYJ_Ah #casadelherrero #georgewashingtonsmith #spanishrevival #spanisharchitecture #architecture #santabarbara #visitsantabarbara #silversmith #silversmithing #visitcalifornia #blacksmith #historiclandmark #nationalhistoriclandmark

On Tuesday, May 7, Valerie Rice will visit the Casa to talk about the inspirations and adventures behind her "California dream of a cookbook" called Lush Life! This delightful cookbook is a celebration of cooking and entertaining organized by season and features 156 of Valerie's favorite recipes for every occasion. Guests who attend will get a signed copy of the cookbook PLUS we will be featuring samples of her Strawberry Mezcal Margarita recipe straight from the pages of summer! This program and more are available each month! Want to register? Visit https://lnkd.in/gKQpNRJi #casadelherrero #visitsantabarbara #recipes #visitsb #philanthropy