An Historical House of the West 
THE DINING-ROOM, SHOWING OLD CHAIR MADE AND GIVEN BY AN INDIAN CONVERT TO DON JOSE 
Coast have been entertained during the years. It is 
richly furnished in mahogany that is black with age 
and the silver is massive and quaint and many of the 
larger pieces are too stately and elaborate for present 
day use. The coloring of this room is crimson. 
Each sleeping-room has its old-fashioned, high 
poster bed, with snowy canopy and each has its small 
oratory. Like the main rooms, these apartments 
are furnished in mahogany, the graceful chair that 
shows in the illustration having been used by the 
commandante over eighty years ago. 
Many efforts have been made to purchase the de la 
Guerra mansion as a city or state museum and to that 
end Santa Barbara has several times opened nego¬ 
tiations with members of the family. But although 
they feel the justice of the argument and concede that 
this historic place should belong to the public and 
serve as a museum in which to preserve the relics that 
are fast disappearing from California, hallowed 
memories cluster about the hearthstone and, while 
the present generation lives, it is exceedingly doubtful 
if the house passes from its hands. Private organiza¬ 
tions, including the Historical Society, of which Dr. 
Franceschi is head, have also endeavored to buy the 
place. 
The de la Guerra mansion was left by the grandee 
to his sons, and their children now occupy it, it being 
divided into three parts, each of which is a splendid 
establishment with more rooms than the modern 
house. The main part is the home of Don Pablo’s 
children, Don Carlos, and his sisters, Mrs. Herminia 
Lee and Miss Delfina de la Guerra. Mrs. Frances¬ 
chi de la Guerra Dibblee, also a daughter of Don 
Pablo, and her daughters, occupy the apartment to 
the right of the court, while the left wing is the home 
of Don Miguel’s children, Don Leon de la Guerra, 
and his sisters. Miss Josefa and Miss Paulita de la 
Guerra. 
The following interesting account of the de la 
Guerra mansion is from Richard H. Dana’s “Two 
Years Before the Mast.” 
“Great preparations were making on shore for the 
marriage of our agent, who was to marry Donna 
Anita de la G-a y N-a, youngest daughter of Don 
Antonio y N-a, the grandee of the place, and the 
head of the first family in California. Our steward 
was ashore three days, making pastry and cake, and 
some of our stores were sent off with him. 
“On the day appointed for the wedding, we took 
the captain ashore in the gig, and had orders to go 
for him at night, with leave to go up to the house and 
see the fandango. Returning on board we found 
preparations making for a salute. Our guns were 
loaded and run out, matches lighted, and all the 
