Ayude a transformar el paisaje de la Casa Moullet

The earliest known photo of the Moullet House, showing widening for new shop windows. Courtesy of the Presidio Research Center.

ONE HOUSE, THREE STORIES

As people moved in and out of the Presidio Neighborhood, they put old buildings to new uses. The Moullet House tells the story of how the Presidio Neighborhood residents have changed over time.

When French immigrant Jules Moullet decided to get married, he built a house worthy of his new bride in 1896. At the time, many European immigrants like Moullet were settling in Santa Barbara.

After the 1925 earthquake, the Moullet House and nearby buildings became the location of New Chinatown when the original Chinatown was destroyed. In 1932, the house was used as the headquarters of the local branch of the Chinese Nationalist Party, which supported American-backed Chiang Kai-Shek over the increasingly powerful Communist leader Mao Zedong. Santa Barbarans of many backgrounds actively supported the Chinese Nationalist cause.

The Moullet House transformed once again in 1955. By then some Chinese businesses had closed, and the Presidio Neighborhood was evolving yet again. The Castagnola family remodeled the house into a drive-in liquor store. The building has since played host to a variety of retail businesses, but its unusual architecture still hints at its long history.

Recently, thanks to the help of many donors, SBTHP launched a new project to transform the landscape of Moullet House (pictured below). Learn more here >>

The Moullet House with expanded patio and seating, rendering by Anthony Grumbine.

SOURCES

Brewster, Kathleen M. “Chinese War Relief Efforts: The 1941 Rice Bowl Festival.” La Campana (Winter, 2009-2010): 16-32.

Harris, Carl V, Jarrell C. Jackman, and Catherine Rudolph, Editors. Santa Barbara Presidio Area 1840 to the Present. Santa Barbara, CA: University of California, Santa Barbara Public Historical Studies and Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, 1993.