Accomplishments

Phase I of The Great Arch restoration project (2020)

We are happy to announce that thanks to generous donations, CLF’s fundraising efforts, and grant funds procured, we were able to complete Phase I of The Great Arch restoration project!

New Courthouse Legacy Foundation office floor plan
New CLF Office (2017)

We have a new office! Read more about this exciting project. Let us know if you'd like to to visit our new location on the first floor of the Courthouse.

Mural Room (2012 - 2015)

The restoration of the Mural Room is complete! Thank you to everyone who made this possible.

Mural Room and Lighting Fully Restored
clock tower poster
Historic Structures Report

Projects to restore and preserve the Courthouse must have a hierarchy of need. The Santa Barbara Courthouse Legacy Foundation recently raised $80,000 to have the Architectural Resources Group complete a comprehensive 'Historic Structures Report'.

main archway ceiling
Main Archway Ceiling

This project was made possible by a grant from the Pearl Chase Society. In 2009, over 4 months were spent restoring the main arch ceiling to the original condition. The project involved documenting existing conditions and then repainting the archway to restore the lost images that were damaged due to time and weather.

Clock tower
Clock Room

For eighty years, the Santa Barbara Courthouse Tower Clock ticked away. It needed to be wound and adjusted regularly, until some of the additional parts from this historic Seth Thomas Clock were discovered in their original boxes, tucked away in the dusty storage room. With this discovery, clock enthusiasts and historians, Dr. David Bisno and Dick Schall, embarked on the challenge to rebuild the clock to its original glory.

completed spirit of the ocean fountain
Spirit of the Ocean Fountain

The Spirit of the Ocean Fountain is a prominent architectural feature near the great arch of the Courthouse. Years of rain, environmental toxins and exposure had taken their toll on the delicate sandstone, and efforts to reinforce and repair the statues with various fillers had resulted in a badly deformed carving.

Did You Know...

The Santa Barbara Courthouse is actually comprised of four individual structures connected by an arch or bridge.