El Presidio de Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Restoration and Reconstruction
El Presidio de Santa Barbara was founded in 1782 and was the last in a chain of four military fortresses built by the Spanish along the coast of Alta California, then a wilderness frontier. Today, only two sections of the original Presidio quadrangle remain. The project team worked closely with the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation to reconstruct the northeast and northwest corners of the Presidio, retaining the original stone foundations and archaeological fabric. The project also included the restoration of El Cuartel at the Presidio and construction of new public restrooms.