Stewart house
N 34° 25.522 W 119° 38.902
11S E 256623 N 3812502
Wright's earliest West Coast commission and only Pacific Prairie-style residence...
Waymark Code: WMGD7
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 07/04/2006
Views: 208
George Stewart, a Scottish accountant, immigrated to California and settled in Fresno where they maintained a vineyard and orchards. They chose Montecito, then a rural town south of Santa Barbara as the location for a vacation home. Wright's work may have come to the Stewart's attention through design magazines they acquired in San Francisco, where they had a second residence.
Wright completed his design months before his notorious trip to Europe with his mistress Mamah Cheney. Wright felt strongly enough about this design to include an impressive perspective drawing in the Wasmuth portfolio.
Wright on his plans labeled the house "a summer cottage", though at 4500 sq. ft.it is much larger than you may expect. Wright paid particular attention to the windows of this "summer cottage" and there are 365 art glass beauties that wrap around the house. The house is of cruciform plan with exterior of horizontal, redwood board and batten siding.
Now one acre, the site was originally five and included stables, which were later converted into a house and sold. A two-bedroom guest house is still on the property.
I have had the occasion to stop to view this wonderful residence a couple of time, but with the deep hipped eaves, refective roof, and sylvan setting it is extremely difficult to photograph. Your best bet would probably be early morning or on a cloudy day.
There was an excellent article in the Los Angeles Times, complete with an interior photo spread, but obviously I don't have permission to post these.
This continues to be a private residence, so enjoy the view from outside the fence.
Year Completed: 1910
Commissioned By: George C. and Emily Stewart
Nearest City or Town: Montecito, CA
Public/Private: Private
Tours Available?: no
Website: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
There are no specific visit requirements, however telling about your visit is strongly encouraged. Additional photos of the building or house to add to the gallery are also nice, but not required. Pictures with a GPS or you in them is highly discouraged.