Neighborhood Spotlight: Montecito’s Historic Arcady Estates

THE DAYS OF THE GREAT ESTATES

Some of our nation’s best architects – including Francis T. Underhill, George Washington Smith, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Bertram C. Goodhue – were building Montecito’s most elaborate estates, from Normandy castles and Italian palazzos to English manors. In 1930, notable realtor Harold C. Chase outlined a roster of over 200 “major” estates. Among them were Riven Rock, Ganna Walska’s Lotusland, and Bellosguardo – as well as our favorite, the legendary Arcady estate.

George Owen Knapp

Industrialist and philanthropist George Owen Knapp purchased Montecito’s original Arcady estate from Ralph Radcliffe and Jane McCall Whitehead in 1912. One of the wealthiest and most influential men of his era, Knapp co-founded the industrial chemical and polymer company, Urban Carbide. He oversaw its merger with the National Carbon Company in 1917, creating the powerful industrial entity that exists today.

Montecito’s irresistible beauty captured Knapp’s heart during a 1910 visit, as he passed through by train. A few years later he returned with extensive plans fueled by his passion for transforming and building large estates. Aside from Arcady, his acquisitions included six mountain homes above Santa Barbara, as well as the famous Knapp’s Castle – a mansion destroyed in a forest fire, and now a popular present-day hike to its remains.

Creating the Original Arcady

Prior to Knapp’s expansion of the property, the previous estate was a 17-bedroom home. What was once the primary residence soon became the North Wing of a 32-bedroom estate with the help of architect E. Russel Ray, who was explicitly instructed not to change the original Whitehead design. Situated on approximately 200 acres, of which 50 were cultivated gardens, the estate was set amongst informal plantings of oak trees with meandering paths following the natural configuration of the land.

Several other structures were also built on the property, including the eight-bedroom employees quarters, gardeners’ cottages, stables, pool house, and garages. Another smaller house, referred to as “The Hut,” was built across the road from the main house and, at one point, featured a staircase made of a hollowed truck from a 50 ft. redwood brought from Sequoia National Park. There was also an underground music pavilion on the edge of the northern end of the hillside, referred to as “The Hall of Mirrors.” The entire Arcady estate was later subdivided, and today’s prospective homebuyers have the opportunity to call one of the historic structures home.