If you have ever searched for a historic home in Southern California, then you have probably heard of a gentleman who goes by the name of George Washington Smith. The Santa Barbara-based architect was one of America’s most famous architects from 1916 to 1930, and a master at Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. Today, the Santa Barbara and Montecito areas boast 58 personal residences designed by the legendary architect. It’s not everyday that a house designed by Smith comes to market, but when it happens, it’s a special day for enthusiasts of historic California architecture. Well that special day arrived when Randy Solakian of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Montecito brought a restored 1923 George Washington Smith in Montecito to market for $29,500,000.
“This home is one of Santa Barbara area’s most significant architectural estates,” reveals Solakian, who has sold numerous homes by Smith since he started in the real estate business in 1977. “The quintessential layout strategically sites the main house on a gentle knoll near the top of the 5-acre open interior of rolling lawns and gardens protected by a dense perimeter foliage of mature California Oaks and hedges,” he adds. “Access is down a long private tree-lined drive off Park Lane in Montecito’s central Upper Village, a premium locale rightfully referred by local estate agents as the “Golden Quadrangle.”
The large architectural estate commands five manicured acres, and it beautifully reflects the architect’s artistic eye for proportion and perspective. The main residence was lovingly remodeled and restored in 2006 to bring into the 21st century. A total of eight bedrooms and seven baths round out the sprawling property, which encompasses a pool, tennis court, theater, wine cellar, 2-bedroom guest house, a garden cottage, a three-room office or guest suite over the five-car garage, hen house and expansive manicured gently-sloped lawns and gardens. The estate enjoys “complete privacy,” Solakian tells us, “while sustaining a legacy of refined architectural distinction and historical integrity.”
“The estate is a true private residential compound,” he says. “It’s perfect for a buyer who wants to escape in total seclusion.”
Offered for $29,500,000, this Spanish Colonial Revival is one of Southern California’s most important historic properties. For more information, contact Randy Solakian at (805) 565-2208 or randy@montecitoestates.com.
