The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) invites community members to learn the history of Stearn’s Wharf as told by Santa Barbara author and historian Neal Graffy, 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19.

The program, titled Opening the Door to Santa Barbara: John Peck Stearns and His Wharf, is part of SBMM’s Maritime Distinguished Speaker Series.

The talk is free to attend for SBMM Navigators Circle members; $10 for all other members; and $20 for the general public. Tickets can be purchased here.

Graffy will relay the story of John Peck Stearns, the creation of Stearns Wharf, and the important role both played in Santa Barbara’s development.

He will discuss Stearns’ life and the pivotal events that led to the creation of his iconic wharf. Though Santa Barbara already had a wharf, it was too short to accommodate large ships, which had to anchor a half mile or more offshore.

For Stearns and other lumber yard owners, their wood was tossed overboard and had to be scavenged up and down the beach as the tides brought it ashore. For merchants, their shipments were offloaded onto smaller boats and then loaded onto the small wharf.

The fee for this service added greatly to the cost of goods. Passengers coming ashore suffered the same ordeal and cost.

Stearns offered to extend the wharf, but the owners tuned him down and he resolved the problem by building his own wharf extending out to deep enough water for cargo and passenger ships to easily and safely tie up and conduct business.

On Sept. 16, 1872, the first ship docked at Stearns’ new wharf, marking a defining moment in Santa Barbara’s history.

“John Peck Stearns and his wharf truly opened the door to Santa Barbara,” said Neal Graffy. “It marked the beginning of a new era, where the town could thrive with improved trade and travel, connecting its residents to distant shores with unprecedented
ease.”

Lecture attendees will also be able to view SBMM’s latest exhibit, Majestic California Piers, featuring 31 photographs by Bill Dewey and Dan Merkel showcasing iconic piers throughout California, from San Simeon to Oceanside, including Stearns Wharf.

The show is on view Sept. 5-Jan. 19.

The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum is open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, visit sbmm.org or call 805-962-8404.
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John Peck Stearns. Courtesy Photo.
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Stearns Wharf 1872. Courtesy Photo.