Save Franceschi House and Park

The story of Santa Barbara’s Franceschi House is one of American dreams: immigrant success, strong family ties, extreme wealth, respect for history, good intentions, poor execution, and benign neglect. All within four decades. The two major figures of the House saga – Francesco Franceschi and Alden Freeman – each contributed his own interesting personal history to the story.

Originally built by the immigrant Franceschi family in 1905, the House was acquired from Franceschi’s son in 1926 by Alden Freeman, an eccentric socialist millionaire from New Jersey who admired Franceschi’s work with plants. Freeman remodeled the house as a Mediterranean villa, added his own images, acquired the surrounding acreage and donated the whole package to the city as a memorial park to Dr. Franceschi in 1931. Because the City accepted the House and Park at the outset of the Great Depression, resources to maintain them were scarce and upkeep languished over the decades.

The involvement of Miss Pearl Chase to save the House continued into the 1970s when she successfully defended it against demolition. Her namesake – the Pearl Chase Society – undertook a similar defense almost 30 years later. That effort to restore or rehabilitate the House had strong community support but failed for lack of corresponding funding.

Demolition is now being proposed again.

Please help us convince the Santa Barbara City Council to reject permanently the demolition option and work on a lasting solution for this unique place. Generations of locals and visitors have enjoyed Franceschi House and Park as a horticultural paradise with outstanding views of the City. Help us improve the Park and keep as much of the House as we can afford. Sign our petition. More details are available in The Capital, the newsletter of the Pearl Chase Society ONLINE HERE.