Charles Willard Moore called the Santa Barbara County Courthouse in front of you the grandest Spanish Colonial Revival structure ever built, and it remains the seat of the Santa Barbara County Superior Court. Construction began in 1926 and was completed in 1929; originally it served as the county's superior courthouse, jail, and administrative office. Over time most county administrative offices relocated, yet this building still houses six County Superior Court rooms, the Mural Room (formerly the Supervisors Assembly Room), the County Hall of Records, the County Public Defender's Office, offices of the County General Services Department, and the McMahon Law Library.
The courthouse is open to the public and is a popular site for community gatherings and weddings. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, made a City of Santa Barbara Historic Landmark in 1982, designated a California Historical Landmark in 2004, and recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 2005. Architect Charles Willard Moore called it the "grandest Spanish Colonial Revival structure ever built," and you can feel why as you stand here.
Notice the courthouse and the public spaces beside it, where the community still gathers.