Santa Barbara’s Trinity Episcopal Church is now a city landmark.
The City Council voted unanimously late last month to recognize the Gothic Revival style building at 1500 State St.
Architect Philip Hubert Frohman designed the church with partner Harold Martin in 1912.
Frohman was the supervising architect of Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and designed more than 50 churches.
The church, according to city historian Nicole Hernandez, was built with load-bearing stone, with a steel-reinforced mortar and rubble core. The arches, large window casements, and decorative elements are cast stone, a concrete masonry product simulating natural-cut stone.
Many of Santa Barbara’s best stone masons worked on the church under the direction of master stonemason Peter Poole, Hernandez said. Construction of the building was completed in 1919 at a cost of $54,000.
The 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake damaged the east and west gables, destroying the tower, but it was rebuilt by 1927. The church completed construction of the tudor-style Parish Hall, which was designed by the architectural firm of Soule, Murphy and Hastings, in 1926.
The church has a history of community activism, including currently serving as a warming center for the homeless.
“The building is beautiful, but the people inside more so,” said Santa Barbara Mayor Cathy Murillo. “The work you do for the homeless and the poor, you hosted our gang-prevention meetings for years and years. Thank you for caring about those who need support in the community.”
The church welcomed the landmark designation.
“I hope we will continue to be a beacon not just of the gospel but the way the gospel is lived out in serving the people, especially those on the margins in Santa Barbara,” said Rev. Elizabeth Molitors.
A city landmark is any structure, natural feature, site or area having historic, architectural, archaeological, cultural or aesthetic significance and designated as a landmark. Exterior alterations may be made to a landmark only for the purpose of restoration to its original appearance, or to substantially aid its preservation or enhancement.
A landmark may only be demolished, subject to the written approval of the Historic Landmarks Commission, if it is damaged by earthquake, fire, or act of God to such an extent that it cannot reasonably be repaired and restored.
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
