Architects and Architecture at Lotusland by VIRGINIA HAYES
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BLOTUSLAND N E W S L E T T E R F O R M E M B E R S B V O L U M E 1 5 N O. 4 B FA L L 2 0 0 6 Architects and Architecture at Lotusland By VIRGINIA HAYES WHEN MADAME WALSKA purchased Lotusland, then known as Cuesta Linda, in 1941, she acquired not only 37 acres of land, but also a number of buildings and garden elements that formed the framework for her later garden creations. The majority of them were constructed by the E. Palmer Gavit family in the period between 1919 and the late 1920s. While the Gavits originally contracted with architect Reginald Johnson to design their residence, George Washington Smith was engaged soon after its construction to make alterations and ARCHIVES additions, as well as design a number of other building and garden projects. The late David Gebhard published LOTUSLAND (1) Santa Barbara Architecture in 1975 FROM featuring the influential architects for the region. His wife Pat Gebhard has PHOTOS recently published George Washington Several of George Washington Smith’s commissions feature star-shaped fountains such as this one Smith, Architect of the Spanish Colonial that utilize the narrow channel or runnel carrying water from the main fountain to a separate basin. Revival (2), a detailed look into this significant Santa Barbara architect. The IN THIS ISSUE following are excerpts from these two books giving an idea of the emerging Architects and Architecture 1 Dorothy Shaner Promoted 14 style of architecture that shaped the at Lotusland to Public Programs Manager buildings at Cuesta Linda. Director’s Letter 3 Lotusland Welcomes 15 “The spirit of Santa Barbara is Horticultural Happenings 4 Two New Trustees epitomized in its Spanish revival Steven Timbrook Receives Award 4 Aloe Outing 15 architecture. Its vitality, integrity, and New to the Collections 5 Japanese Garden 16 inspiration gave the city a Mediter- Aesthetic Pruning Workshop ranean grace that no other style has Palo Verde been able to conquer. This revival The Lotus Society 6 Mish in Santa Barbara 16 prevailed from the teens through the Lotusland Celebrates 7 New Faces in the 16 1930s and appeared in everything Summer of Love Visitor Services Office from the humblest home to the LotusFest! 10 Gift Membership 16 monumental Courthouse. The condor’s Twilight Time at Lotusland 11 Special Benefit for 19 eyeview is an array of red tile roofs A Spooky Soiree Upper Level Members comfortably nestled on a plain between mountains and the sea.”1 Music at Lotusland 12 Renew Your Membership Online 20 “During the 1920s Santa Barbara, Volunteer Profile: Larry Disharoon 14 Holiday Shopping and Continued on page 2 A Colorful Addition to Lotusland Self-Guided Tours 20 2 THE LOTUSLAND NEWSLETTER FOR MEMBERS is published by Ganna Walska Lotusland Foundation 695 Ashley Road Santa Barbara, California 93108 805.969.3767 www.lotusland.org Board of Trustees Kisa Heyer, President W. Mason Farrell, Vice-President Arthur R. Gaudi, Secretary Linda J. Gluck, Treasurer Ella Brittingham Geoffrey Crane Larry Durham Sherry Gilson Anne W. Jones Harry W. Kolb Jill Levinson Michael Mayfield Sandra Nicholson Chapin Nolen Reginald Johnson’s original design for the house Barbara Siemon included this ornate lintel over the entrance John Tilson (INSET). The house is characteristic of his Nancy L. Wood “restrained blend of Mediterranean and Merryl Brown traditional Anglo-Saxon styles.” Robert J. Emmons Michael Towbes Carol L. Valentine Continued from page 1 “Acclaimed especially for his Lifetime Honorary Trustees already blessed with a significant group residential architecture, [Reginald] Mike Bush of adobes from the Spanish-Mexican Johnson’s houses are a lavish, though Executive Director period, accepted the Spanish revival as restrained, blend of Mediterranean Steven Timbrook, Ph.D. its ‘official’ style. The 1925 earthquake and traditional Anglo-Saxon styles, Director Emeritus created an enormous need to rebuild beautiful monuments of taste and Anne Dewey, CFRE and the city had the romantic urge to sophistication in Santa Barbara…He Director of Development recapture its past.”1 designed several outstanding residences, Marguerite Gamo Manager of Administration among them the Chase House in and Human Resources Hope Ranch. He also designed the Deanna Hatch Bathhouse at the Biltmore in 1928, as Communications Manager well as a group of cottages for the Virginia Hayes hotel in 1929 for which he received Curator of the Living Collection Michael Iven Director of Grounds and Facilities Dorothy Shaner Public Programs Manager Printed by Jano Graphics Lindse Davis, Design Printed on recycled and recyclable paper with vegetable-based inks Mission Statement To preserve and enhance the spectacular collections of exotic plants on the Montecito estate of the late Madame Ganna Walska and, through interpretation of these collections, to foster increased knowledge and George Washington Smith designed an addition to the house, a pavilion used as separate quarters for appreciation of the importance of plants the Gavits’ daughter. Easy access to the upper floor of the house was provided by a staircase (INSET) and the need for their conservation. that was later removed. Wrought iron gates and rejas as seen in this photo, circa 1929, were added later to the arcade connecting the house and pavilion. 3 The bath house, which includes three changing rooms for swimmers, George Washington Smith designed the plastered wall enclosing the was designed by George Washington Smith and built when the pool majority of the property. This view of eucalyptus trees in the Australian was installed, circa 1924. garden is along Cold Spring Road. an award from the city. His last com- “From his first house (his own) to masses, fine proportions and use of mission was the Santa Barbara Post his final house (the Culley House), details that transcend their own time.”2 Office, built in 1937.”1 George Washington Smith left us fine Some of Smith’s more well-known “By the beginning of the 1920s, examples of revival architecture that commissions were the Lobero Theatre; George Washington Smith…built transcend their traditional mode, the Steedman House, now known as white-walled, tiled-roofed works after becoming works of art in their own Casa del Herrero; and the chapel, Andalusian precedents that led to the right and remaining completely at crematorium and offices for the Santa development of a building style that home in their garden environments. Barbara Cemetery. He also collaborated now gives Santa Barbara its distinctive …Smith’s buildings have a serenity on the Daily News Building (now the Spanish appearance.”2 and charm that rest on a balance of the Santa Barbara News-Press). growing at Lotusland.) As a primitive current and relevant by seeking impor- Director’s Letter cone-flowering plant, it shares a distant tant new accessions. Thanks to our Rare history with cycads, both in creating Plant Fund and several very interested LOTUSLAND HAS JUST ACQUIRED some rare cones for reproduction and occurring donors, we were able to secure them. new trees—long-lost distant gymno- in the same geologic time. They now await re-introduction to their sperm cousins of our own renowned Today, fewer than 100 live in the long-lost distant cousins, our cycads. cycads! We’re proud to be among the wild, with the locality unpublished to first public gardens in the US to acquire protect these rare trees. Making them Wollemia nobilis. Previously, only Kew easily available will make it less tempt- Gardens in London and Australia’s ing for collectors to remove them from Adelaide Botanic Garden displayed their native habitat. Fortunately, the Wollemia. They were so carefully Wollemi Pine can be reproduced by guarded in those locations that the cuttings, and thousands are being plants were displayed in cages so it rooted in Australia for future world- would be impossible for visitors to wide distribution. snip a sample. Through connections nurtured by Until 1994, Wollemia was known Research Associate Jeff Chemnick and only from fossil records and was Curator Virginia Hayes with exotic presumed long extinct until found in a plant growers and importers Bruce and national park 120 miles west of Sydney. Suzi Ironmonger of Bonsall, California, Dubbed the botanical find of the we were able to purchase several century, the Wollemi Pine is now the specimens. The horticultural world focus of extensive research to conserve has waited for this release for a dozen it. Part of a 200 million-year-old plant years, and it’s fun to be the “first kid on DEWEY family, it is most closely related to trees the block” to get them. B. such as bunya-bunya, Norfolk Island This acquisition celebrates our WM. pine, monkey puzzle, and Agathis (all policy of keeping our historic garden Mike Bush 4 Horticultural Happenings LOTUSLAND WELCOMES TWO NEW EMPLOYEES COREY WELLES AT APGA IVEN MICHAEL BY PHOTOS Holly Redmond Zoe Stevens Corey Welles HOLLY REDMOND recently graduated ZOE STEVENS graduated from UC Santa THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE of the from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, with Cruz with a BS in Ecology/Evolution American Public Gardens Association a BS in Environmental Horticulture. A in 2005. She has varied grounds care (APGA) was held in San Francisco this certified green gardener, she worked experience, including an eight-year past summer. APGA is the association for several years with a landscape involvement in all aspects of a family- for North American public gardens and company, was a Park Ranger Assistant owned protea farm. Zoe recently began their professional staff. with the Santa Barbara County Parks working with Frank Fujii and Greg Lotusland’s involvement with Department, and was an intern at Kitajima in the Japanese garden, and APGA began in the mid-1980s and has Growing Solutions Restoration Educa- she is enthusiastic about learning the included more than a few presenta- tion Institute.