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Medallion of Saint Barbara
updated: Mar 24, 2011, 8:45 PM
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Not only did Neal Graffy provide the correct answer in yesterday's March Edness contest, but he also sent us the history of the building and some old photos. Take it away Neal ...
Chamber of Commerce Building
By Neal Graffy XNGH
The medallion of Saint Barbara graces the doorway of 14 East Carrillo Street, built for the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce following the June 29, 1925 earthquake, which destroyed their previous building.
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That building (above) was built in 1890 for the growing Santa Barbara Free Public Library, but it would take seventeen years to finally complete the construction as the library and building expanded. A decade later, in 1917, the library had outgrown the building and moved to their current location at Anapamu and Anacapa. Following their departure the Chamber of Commerce moved in.
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After the earthquake, the new building housed the Chamber of Commerce, the Junior Chamber of Commerce, the Retail Merchants Association, Santa Barbara County Title Co., Title Insurance & Trust, and an investment counselor, Donald Myrick (Donald's son, David Myrick is the author of two - soon to be three - Montecito history books, and is a noted railroad historian and author, as well). Many other Santa Barbara civic organizations came and went over the years, including the British War Relief, which had an office in 1944. As for the Chamber of Commerce, they moved out in 1943 and briefly returned in 1996.
But the building is best remembered as Hunt's China Shop, long known to many generations of Santa Barbarans as THE place for china, silver, crockery, wedding gifts and items for any occasion. Hunt's, in one form or another, had been in Santa Barbara since 1871. They moved in to 12 East Carrillo (the building was split into 12 & 14 in 1939) just after World War II, and sometime in the late 1980s they closed their Santa Barbara store.
Old-timers have told me there was a "spring-floor" upstairs and for a time, the 6,000 square foot basement housed the Santa Barbara Railroad Club (I'd love to see some photos of that!).
There is always a distinction that "you are a real Santa Barbaran if you remember..." Hunt's China Shop qualifies as one of those delightful markers of our history.
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