HOUSE AND GARDEN 
March, 1912 
and skill they had at 
their disposal, follow¬ 
ing the examples fa¬ 
miliar to them, such 
as appear in Spain 
and Mexico. They 
naturally built simply 
and substantially, but 
in that simplicity lies 
all their charm and 
beauty. Large, plain 
wall spaces are char¬ 
acteristic of this type 
of building, and when 
man finished his work, 
nature started to em¬ 
bellish it with her 
clinging vines and 
overhanging trees, 
transforming them all 
into a picture of charm and beauty. 
Any attempt at gorgeous enrichment 
and elaboration would have been fatal 
to the artistic and enchanting results. 
The most characteristic points of 
this style of architecture can be de¬ 
scribed as a low building with heavy 
walls of adobe brick, covered with 
stucco; a low, pitched roof, covered 
with tile, and wide, projecting eaves, 
casting the deep shadow so necessary 
in a sunny location; belfries, formed 
by the projecting of the walls above 
the roof, pierced with arched openings 
to carry the bells, while the inner 
courts were surrounded with arches, 
forming spacious and picturesque 
cloisters. The windows on the first 
floor were frequently enclosed with 
turned wooden grilles, a remnant of 
the iron grilles of Spain, and used for 
protection. The walls were of solid 
brick, covered with stucco, and have 
at times reached a thickness of six 
feet. Floors were frequently covered 
with large brick tiles, twelve inches 
square. 
This style of architecture sounds 
The Gillespie house at Santa Barbara shows many classic features adopted as suitable to 
the climate and location. Cram, Goodhue & Ferguson, architects 
The long pool adds an attractive touch to the approach 
to the Gillespie house. It is Persian in its inspiration 
very well, but how 
does it apply to the 
average modern sub¬ 
urban home? For the 
more Northern cli¬ 
mate where winds and 
storms predominate, 
and where the cold is 
severe, this style is not 
at all practical. There 
a building compact 
and sheltered is de¬ 
sirable, but where the 
sunshine abounds, and 
where winter is of 
short duration, this 
type of building is 
most fitting. In the 
South the Spanish 
Mission is at its best, 
but the architectural treatment when 
])roperly adapted to the conditions of 
the North, gives a most pleasing and 
happy result. Other types of buildings 
seem to have been the popular types to 
follow for suburban homes, many of 
which have become monotonous, while 
the Spanish Mission has been over¬ 
looked. This type is not splashy or 
elaborate, but can be enriched in a 
quiet way to great advantage. 
What are the requisites of a private 
residence or home? In common, it 
could be described as a place for rest, 
a place to eat and a place to sleep, a 
place for thought, and a place to en¬ 
tertain one’s friends. The question is, 
how best to accomplish this within 
reasonable means. 
The Spanish Mission house has the 
advantage of being easy and simple 
of construction, void of the complica¬ 
tions of building principles, as in 
many of the other styles frequently 
adopted. 
This simplicity does not detract 
from its beauty; but when properly 
handled, simplicity can be relieved by 
The patio is a requirement of the Spanish house and is a most acceptable 
addition, even with its Greek lines 
As yet there is no absolute Spanish mission type, but various influences 
are conjointly used as in the Gillespie house 
