Rebuilding a City: Lessons from Santa Barbara’s Earthquake with Anthony Grumbine

On the morning of June 29, 1925, a powerful earthquake struck Santa Barbara, leveling buildings and permanently altering the city’s trajectory. In the wake of devastation, something remarkable happened: a unified civic vision emerged.
What followed was one of the most ambitious and artistically driven urban recoveries in American history.

Join architect Anthony Grumbine for a special lecture on the centennial of the Santa Barbara earthquake, an event that allowed the city of Santa Barbara to redefine itself. Rather than simply rebuild, Santa Barbara’s leaders, architects, artists, and planners saw a rare opportunity to reimagine the city’s future through the lens of Spanish Colonial Revival design. Before the quake, Santa Barbara’s architecture reflected a mix of Victorian, and early 1900’s styles. Drawing inspiration from California’s mission history, this unifying aesthetic—with its white stucco walls, red tile roofs, and arched corridors—transformed Santa Barbara into a national model of cohesive urban design.

Long before the term “resilient design” entered the lexicon, Santa Barbara demonstrated that rebuilding could be a vehicle for beauty, unity, and cultural pride. Out of tragedy came a legacy of leadership, creativity, and an enduring belief in the power of architecture to heal, inspire, and bring a community together.
Join us for a thoughtful evening talk on this historical architectural moment, one that holds lessons for community rebuilding efforts today.

Anthony Grumbine is a Senior Principal at Harrison Design, where he leads the firm’s Santa Barbara office with a focus on classical and historic architecture. He holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Notre Dame and dual undergraduate degrees in Architecture and Art History from Carleton University. Deeply committed to the cultural and architectural legacy of Santa Barbara, Anthony has served as Chair of the City’s Historic Landmarks Commission for over a decade and is a past President of the Board of the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation. He is the author of The City of Santa Barbara’s Architectural Styles Guide, a foundational resource that continues to inform design and planning throughout the region.

Beyond his professional work, Anthony has quietly contributed to Santa Barbara’s future through pro bono design leadership in symposiums, charrettes, and visioning efforts. He is currently leading local architects, working closely with City Council and their consultants on the State Street redevelopment, helping align thoughtful design with civic priorities such as housing, transportation, and cultural identity.

ICAA Members – $30
Non-Members – $45

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS