bjgreen
(Image: Arts & Architecture, November 1919)
By Betsy J. Green
Back in February 1919, the city announced that it was holding a competition for the design of the new courthouse (the present building). This month, July 1919, the winner was announced – Edgar A. Mathews of San Francisco. Here’s his sketch for the courthouse.
Recognize it? No? Well, that’s because the design of the runner-up was the one that was actually built. There seemed to be a couple of reasons why Mathews’ design was not built. One was budgetary, and one may have involved a complaint about fairness from some of the people on the committee who judged the designs.
It was also mentioned that the courthouse was supposed to be a memorial to the young men from Santa Barbara County who lost their lives in the war, but none of the designs addressed that.
Betsy’s Way Back When book — 1918 — is now available in local bookstores and at Amazon.com. This is the fifth book in her series of the history of Santa Barbara, one year at a time. Learn more at
I totally agree with REX. Glad this sketch didn’t make it.
It loks like the backdrop for a Florence Foster Jenkins concert.
Doesn’t really matter how it looks or would have looked, the Courthouse will always (by definition) be a monument to injustice and cruelty.