Casa del Herrero Renovations Update
As 80% of the earmarked renovations for the preservation of Casa del Herrero (CDH) are completed, CDH Executive Director and Head of Curation Natalie Sanderson and Board of Trustees Chair Elizabeth Esrey invited the sponsors and donors who provided the key funding to a reception on Thursday, April 23 for a viewing.
The $750,000 “Save America’s Treasures Grant” received by Casa del Herrero on September 9, 2024 was predicated on receiving matching funds, and that goal was met end of last year. The grant is being used for the restoration of CDH, including tile work, the Lath House, Green House (aka Glass House), Gardener’s Shed and Workshop, all fountains and exedras, and the repair and painting of the exterior walls and main house.
The grant is awarded from the Department of the Interior and National Park Service’s Save America’s Treasures (SAT) grant program and administered by the California Missions Foundation. Instrumental in securing the SAT grant for CDH are Executive Director and CEO of the California Missions Foundation David Bolton, CDH Trustee Mari McAlister, and Elizabeth Storm McGovern who worked with Bolton on writing the grant.
The event opened with welcoming remarks and introductions by Esrey, who then guided the guests to the renovation of the tile in-ground fountain that is the mid-way point to the back gardens of the property. There, we met the team on the SAT Project, owner and conservator of Anders Arts Conservation, Susie Anders, and Juan Lopez, founder-owner of Santa Barbara Quality Masonry who isthe project’s General Contractor. Lopez’s 25 years of work are based in historic preservation including National Historic Landmarks.
For our readers, I asked Lopez to further explain the work. He said, “The materials used for the CDH renovations are compatible with the historic elements already in place. Care is taken to keep all original materials. The original owners of CDH kept all the extra tiles that were not used, along with some other materials. These are being used to replace areas that cannot be repaired. You will note that some of the terra cotta inlaid steps and flooring around the fountain are chipped, that is to retain the antiquity of the time period.”
Anders added that she examined and tested the tiles of the CDH fountains. The result of their faded look was found to be water damage that could be safely removed by a special cleaning method and regrouting, thus retaining the original tilework. Chipped tiles were replaced with original unused tiles in storage.
From there we were led to an official ribbon-cutting by David Bolton to a newly made loose gravel path that leads to the South Exedras. The path was mapped from the original CDH grounds’ blueprints. After the ribbon-cutting we walked to the South Exedras which is an area designed by Lutah Maria Riggs. It is comprised of a 13th Century watering trough with an inscription that reads, “Drink and Be Well,” and a tiled rest area with benches on each side of the trough. The trough’s water is continually recycled.
The tour finished with the Lath House and Gardener’s Shed and Workshop which are completed. We returned to the main lawn for refreshments and a Q&A with the team. The Green House renovations have begun and is the last renovation to be completed.
Some attendees included Mari and Patrick McAlister, Heather Biles, Gonzalo Sarmiento, Isabel Wendt, Susan Jackson, Nathan Vonk, and Miles Hartfeld.
You might also be interested in...
You must be logged in to post a comment.