Tag archives: Casa del Herrero

A century after Casa del Herrero was established as the private estate of industrialist George Fox Steedman, and more than three decades after it was turned into a historic house museum and garden stewarded by a nonprofit organization, the House of the Blacksmith remains one of Montecito’s best-kept secrets.  The secrecy is not on purpose, and […]

Casa del Herrero invites community to their fundraiser, Casa in Bloom, a garden party on Saturday, July 25, 2026, from 3:30-6 pm. Tickets are required. Event includes garden tours, house tours, and Chris Fossek on Spanish guitar. Refreshments.  411: www.casadelherrero.com Chabad of Montecito Events  Wednesday, July 29, 6 pm, Men’s Summer BBQ, hosted by Brian […]

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 […]

Casa del Herrero hosted a neighborhood gathering on March 10 to highlight progress on its Save America’s Treasures Grant preservation project. Leading the event were Natalie Sanderson, executive director and Head of Curation, and Elizabeth Esrey, President of the Board of Trustees, who also serves on the Save America’s Treasures Ad Hoc Committee. Casa del […]

Master Rosarian Dan Bifano – Montecito’s internationally renowned rose expert – shared his sage knowledge about everything roses at Casa del Herrero (CDH) in conjunction with the Garden Club of Santa Barbara (GCSB), on Monday morning, January 19. The collaboration with Bifano, GCSB, and CDH was initiated by Mari McAlister, member of GCSB and prior […]

This year, the Casa del Herrero Annual Home for the Holidays event was held on Saturday, December 15, as a late afternoon cocktail reception from 3 to 5 pm, instead of its usual formal gala evening holiday event. This provided opportunities for guests to tour the gardens and buildings in late afternoon daylight to view […]

This week’s Society Editis bringing you the exclusive report on the Centennial Gala of Casa del Herrero, held on Saturday, September 6. As the only press person requested by the organization to cover the event, here are the illustrious details! I arrived early to meet with the Casa del Herrero (the Casa) Board of Trustees […]

Casa del Herrero Board of Trustees President Elizabeth Esrey is inviting the community to join in their Centennial Gala celebration on September 6, from 5:30-9 pm. Tickets are required and they are selling quickly. I met with Esrey, the Gala committee, and two honorary chairs who are prior Board of Trustees Presidents at Casa del […]

Social gridlock reigned at the charming Casa del Herrero’s second annual Fiesta fest. More than 75 guests, numbers limited by local ordinance, crowded into the East Valley Road estate, which is also celebrating its 100th anniversary. The sunset soirée, chaired by David Bolton, Gonzalo Sarmiento, and Jenna Jobst Reichental, starred ubiquitous classical guitarist Chris Fossek […]

Local residents are reminded to attend the Wildfire Preparedness Meeting hosted by Montecito Fire on Thursday, June 26, at 6:00 pm in the Montecito Union School Auditorium. This panel discussion will bring together representatives from Montecito Fire and adjoining fire departments, MWD, SBC Sheriff’s Office, SBC Office of Emergency Management (OEM), CHP, and SBPD for […]

To start the year, Casa del Herrero Executive Director Rosie Rafferty announced their new Board of Trustees officers and members as follows: Beth Esrey, President; Isabel Wendt, Vice President; Mari McAlister, Secretary; Lily Marx, Treasurer; and new Board of Trustee Members: Susan Budinger, Miles Hartfeld, Marty McDermut, and Kevin O’Toole.  Esrey replaced Board of Trustees […]

The most looked forward to holiday party behind the hedgerow in Montecito is the Casa del Herrero Soirée, titled Home for the Holidays, held this year on Saturday, December 14.  Upon entering, guests were greeted by lovely ballerinas from the State Street Ballet, celebrating The Nutcracker. Spanish guitar études by Chris Fossek filled the atmosphere. […]

In a press conference on Monday, September 9, David Bolton, Executive Director of The California Missions Foundation, presented a prestigious $750,000 matching grant award to Board of Trustees President Heather Biles and Executive Director of Casa del Herrero Rose Rafferty for preservation work at Casa del Herrero. The grant is awarded from the Department of […]

Casa del Herrero held its 2nd Annual Docent Graduation on Friday, June 21, at the estate. The new docents are responsible for leading the classic 90-minute tours of the Casa, volunteer at events where they provide modified tours that cater to the focus of the event, and answer any questions visitors have about the property.  […]

Celebrate your mom, grandmother and woman in your life with a variety of amazing experiences from the area’s finest! On behalf of the Montecito Journal, we wish all mothers a wonderful weekend celebrating love! Start Mother’s Day early on Saturday, May 11, from 1:30-4:30 pm with Casa del Herrero’s first Mother’s Day Weekend Garden Party […]

Susan and Palmer Jackson, Jr. of the Ann Jackson Family Foundation have announced they are the co-chairs of Casa del Herrero’s $18 million capital campaign.  The capital campaign, titled, “Preserving our Past, Protecting Our Future,” is the first comprehensive capital campaign in the 30-year history of Casa del Herrero as a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. In […]

A new Cinema Series has made its debut in Montecito at Casa del Herrero on Thursday evening, January 18. The film series is officially titled “Cinema at the Casa” and is focused on launching the organization as a center for creative and worldly discussions for the community. It follows suit with the Casa’s Book Club. […]

The much looked forward to Casa del Herrero “Home for the Holidays”evening was held at the organization’s rare jewel outdoor area – its Spanish Patio and Blue and White Garden off the formal living room – on Saturday, December 9. The 150 guests were treated to the blissful Spanish guitar of Chris Fossek, while they […]

On Friday, November 10, the world-renowned Rose Story Farm (RSF) in Carpinteria opened its doors to the public for the first time in 25 years for a ticketed fundraiser event. RSF owner Danielle Dall’Armi Hahn was talking with fellow rose designers about staging parts of the house for fun on an off weekend, which soon […]

Medora Steedman Bass is the daughter of Carrie and George Steedman, owners of Casa del Herrero. Earlier this year, various papers and journals of hers were discovered at the house, which document her love of books and reading, and spawned the creation of a book club in her honor called The Medora Book Club. Medora […]