Spanish Colonial Architecture in Santa Barbara (and Beyond)

A perfect example of modern Spanish Colonial style.

Read more about how the style evolved below.

Today on my run through Santa Barbara’s downtown, I stumbled across the most beautiful Spanish-style architecture, and it got me thinking about how Spanish Colonial style evolved in the United States, and I would love to share this history of Spanish-style architecture with you!

To start, here are some classic characteristics of Spanish architecture:

• White stucco walls (interior and exterior)

• Red barrel-shaped tile roofs

• Ceramic tiles (for floors and mosaics)

• Wooden doors (sometimes arched)

• A few small window openings (without glass)

• Exposed wooden beams along ceilings

• Portales (open-air exterior walkways)

• Exterior Arches

• Wrought iron and iron fretwork

Spanish Colonial describes the homes and structures built in areas colonized by the Spanish from the 1600s to the mid 1800’s. It’s important to remember that the Spanish colonized the Americas long before the British, and when they did, they brought with them the same architectural styling used in Spain contemporaneously.

And because much of Spanish architecture reflected the local temperate climate, the same techniques and materials used in Spain translated well to the areas the Spanish colonized in the Americas, such as California and Florida. For example, consider the ceramic tile often seen in Spanish Colonial design, either as decorative mosaic tiles or flooring. Ceramic tile was used in Spain and Mexico largely because it works well in warm climates as it is cool to the touch. The same is true for the white stucco-ed adobe brick or stone walls, which also helped keep homes cool in warm summer months. Another great example of Spanish architecture are small glassless windows which minimized heat from the sun but allowed cool breezes into a space. 

Okay, so back to our history lesson...When Spain colonized the Americas, the architecture they built can be referred to as Spanish Colonial. Later, however, when colonial heritage came into vogue in the early 20th century, Spanish Colonial architecture became a part of the Colonial Revival movement across the United States. Separately, Mission Revival, though similar to Spanish Colonial in style, was an architectural movement that began in the late 19th Century (prior to the Colonial Revival) and drew inspiration from the Spanish missions built in California in 1700 and 1800.

Oh yeah, and that beautiful Santa Barbara Courthouse I stumbled upon today? It was completed in 1929, during the height of the Colonial Revival movement, and designed in Spanish Colonial style with a red tile roof, elegant arches, and ornate wrought-iron chandeliers.