The fate of Franceschi House is on the line.
The city of Santa Barbara is embarking on a grand plan to restore Franceschi House, a cherished home at the top of a hill in Santa Barbara.
“We know there is so much love for this park and there is so much interest in what happens next,” said Jill Zachary, parks and recreation director.
Santa Barbara city officials held a well-attended public workshop and brainstorming session on Saturday morning at Mission Ridge School.
About 100 people attended. Zachary started the discussion, and then architects followed. An environmental review will eventually be needed, but for now the city is taking public input on how to move forward.
The Craftsman-style house was once the home to Francesco Franceschi and his wife, Cristina, who purchased the property in 1903, along with the surrounding 40 acres. Franceschi, a botanist, built the house in 1907.
They sold the home to Alden Freeman in 1927, who later donated the property to the city.
Freeman, an eccentric socialist millionaire from New Jersey, remodeled the house into a Mediterranean style, adding dozens of cherished medallions to the house.
The house is seismically unsafe and dilapidated; after years of trying to restore the house, the city, and many of the people who fought to preserve it, agreed in 2018 to demolish it and start over.
The city tried several times to save the house but was never able to fund a restoration project through grants, general fund money or efforts to secure a public-private partnership, including with the Pearl Chase Society.
The park and house have become one of Santa Barbara’s iconic locales, with panoramic views of the city and the Pacific Ocean beyond. It’s a quick and quiet hideout away from the hustle and bustle of downtown, a spot for paintings and photos and small gatherings.
But the city has fallen woefully behind in its maintenance and park infrastructure.
The city wants to preserve the medallions and statues at the site.
“We’re just starting to put possibilities out there,” said Kevin Dumain, senior project architect with DesignArc. “The presence of the house is important to the community.”
The city will gather feedback from the meeting, along with a survey, and continue to refine the project.
“How can we maintain the integrity of the historic cultural legacy of this park and bring it forward to a more usable park today?” Scott Capps, landscape architect for the project, asked the crowd.
Audience members asked questions of the speakers and mingled. They looked at photos and designs on the wall that showed the history and potential ideas for the park.
“One of the things everyone agrees with is that it is part of Santa Barbara history,” said local resident Eileen White Reed. “You see the 360-degree views of Santa Barbara.”
