National Historic Landmark

Gonzalez, Rafael, House

Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County, California
Listed
April 14, 1970
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
70000149

About this property

The Rafael González House is an historic house in the historic center of the city of Santa Barbara, California. Built in 1825, it is one of a small number of surviving adobe houses from the Mexican period of California history. It was designated a National Historic Landmark on April 15, 1970, and added to the National Register of Historic Places. The González House is located north of Santa Barbara's central business district, on the south side of Laguna Street between East Canon Perdido Street and East De La Guerra Street. It is a single-story adobe structure, with seven rooms. It is built in the U-shape (with the longest part being parallel to Laguna Street) and stands on a hill, separated from both Laguna and Canon Perdido streets by garden walls. Its walls are up to 2 feet (0.61 m) thick, covered with lime plaster, and its long sides are sheltered by wooden verandas. When built, it had packed-earth floors, which were tiled during restoration in the 1920s. The roof, now shingled, was historically covered in terra cotta tile. As of 2025, it has been sold and is now a private residence. The building was constructed in 1825 by Rafael González , a landowner who in 1829 became an alcalde of Santa Barbara. At this time, Santa Barbara was a part of Mexican California. After his death, in 1866, the house was inherited by one of his daughters, Francisca Ventura González de Ramires. She lived in the house until 1923, when it was sold out of the family. It has seen mainly commercial uses since then.

Location

835 Laguna St.
Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County, California
34.42431, -119.69597

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Santa Barbara Presidio
Early Republic
0.2 mi
US Post Office-Santa Barbara Main
Industrial
0.3 mi
El Paseo and Casa de la Guerra
Industrial
0.3 mi
Santa Barbara County Courthouse
Industrial
0.3 mi
Hill-Carrillo Adobe
Industrial
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Gonzalez, Rafael, House listed on the National Register?

Gonzalez, Rafael, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 14, 1970.

What type of historic resource is Gonzalez, Rafael, House?

Gonzalez, Rafael, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Gonzalez, Rafael, House a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Gonzalez, Rafael, House has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Gonzalez, Rafael, House?

The period of significance for Gonzalez, Rafael, House is recorded as the industrial era.

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