The Castle on the Hill

Shedding Some Light on the Grand Mansion That Later Became the Site of Santa Barbara City College

By Justin M. Ruhge Tue Jan 28, 2025 | 12:00pm

Today the “Hill” is a beehive of energy and occupied by thousands of driven students seeking their education. This is the site of Santa Barbara City College. Most people have forgotten its earlier history as the hill where a grand “Castle,” owned and built by one of the county’s pioneers, Thomas B. Dibblee, stood. Where Montecito Street ends and Cliff Drive (Highway 225) begins is the entrance on the south side to that “Castle.” But before that, the site was also the location of four other historic venues: Indian burial grounds, a historic meeting point, a geological curiosity, and a Spanish redoubt.

For many years, the center of City College was the site of rancherias and the sacred burial grounds of the Chumash Indians, called “Mispu” or “The Place of the Hand.” The site was on the edge of the sea bluffs and with erosion the burials of people and artifacts were exposed. Over time, most of the burials were removed by collectors. We have this record from the Santa Barbara News-Press from January 29, 1924, with the headline “Museum Collector Secures Old Indian Relics from Pioneers”:

“A number of new and interesting revelations in regard to the old Indian rancherias of Mispu on Castle Rock Point have been discovered by J. P. Harrington, who is making extensive investigation here under the auspices of the Museum of the American Indian.

A 1928 aerial view of the Punta Del Castillo. Stearns Wharf, on the right, is the beginning of the Breakwater. Dibblee Mansion is at D, F is Fossil Hill, B is the Location of the Indian Burial Grounds, Mispu, and C is the Location of the Spanish Castillo and Castle Rock, Originally Named Point Martinez in 1782 by the Spanish expedition to set up the Presidio at Santa Barbara. | Photo: Santa Barbara County Antique Aerial Photograph Collection

“Straight back from the point where the Spanish fortress stood about 1,200 feet, is the old Indian graveyard in the center of what was formerly Leadbetter Polo Field. The late Chico Levs, a brother to Mrs. F. Nardi, 800 Anacapa Street, excavated this some 15 years ago. Mr. Chico obtained a rich collection of relics, which have been apportioned between L. G. Dreyfus and Mrs. Francisca Dibblee of Santa Barbara. Mr. Harrington obtained a portion of the collection yesterday and immediately sent the articles to the museum in New York… Mr. Harrington also obtained a cannon ball of the old fortress, which was found by Charles T. Hall, 105 Bath Street in 1871. Some of the mortar work of the old fort was still standing at that time.

“The Point was formerly named La Punta de Castillo according to Mr. Harrington, deriving its designation from the fortress which was built there as a part of the defense of the old Presidio Santa Barbara.”

The existence of the Castillo was also supported by other more detailed references in the literature.

The Point was originally dedicated to Don Estevan Jose Martinez who led the Spanish Naval expedition in 1782 to establish the presidio at Santa Barbara. A pennant was raised then to mark the location by the land force.

Castle Rock became a distinctive feature of the area as it stood out at this point. In times past it was attached to the land but slowly separated and at one point left space for a wagon road between it and the mainland. It was blown up in the process of building the breakwater so it remains only a name in the history of this site.

Four venues preceded the establishment of the Dibblee Castle: Mispu, Point Martinez, El Castillo, and Castle Rock.

Thomas Bloodgood Dibblee was born in Pine Plains Duchess County, New York in 1823. Dibblee studied law at Columbia and was a junior partner in the prestigious New York law firm of Hamilton Fish. He first visited California in 1859 and decided to stay and became part owner of the fabulous Rancho Santa Anita in the San Gabriel Valley, later the domain of “Lucky Baldwin.” There Dibblee learned the practical side of California sheep raising.

At age 40, Dibblee’s brother Albert invited him to join a partnership with the sheep baron, William Wells Hollister, and to move to Santa Barbara to manage the sheep raising on their properties at San Julian Ranch. Thomas Dibblee made the move and eventually acquired the land from Lompoc to 24 miles south to Gaviota or about 130,000 acres. He developed the ranch at Gaviota and the now famous pier. His sheep, wool and cattle were shipped from there.

He was very active in all aspects of social and business events in Santa Barbara County. He helped bring the railroad to the county, was a director of the County National Bank in Santa Barbara, and platted the first square mile of the future City of Lompoc, as well as establishing the funding plans for its development.

At some point along the way, Dibblee decided it was time to settle down. In Santa Barbara, he met and courted the daughter of the Pablo de la Guerra family, Francisca ”Quica,” at the Casa on the town plaza. He was about twice her age, which was not uncommon at the time. They were married on December 8, 1868. Over their long life together they had nine children,all born at the San Julian Ranch.

An 1883 rendering by Henry Chapman Ford of the Santa Barbara Harbor showing the Dibblee Mansion on the right and the water tower near it. Note the Sidewheel Steamer approaching Stearns Wharf. | Photo: From ‘An Artist Records the California Missions’

With all of his activities in Santa Barbara and a large family, Dibblee decided to move his residence to a town location. This brought about the development of a stately sandstone mansion on what was called Punta del Castillo, after the location of the old Spanish “Castillo” on the hill above Santa Barbara with 360-degree views.

The “Castle” at Punta del Castillo was designed by Peter J. Barber and constructed between 1884 and 1886 on the 40-acre site. The property on the Mesa had an artesian well 930 feet deep.

The modern sandstone house was a marvel for Santa Barbara. A good description of the facilities, artwork, and woodwork inside appears in several publications at the Santa Barbara Historical Society. In addition to its innate grandeur, the garden walls of the mansion were decorated with two iron cannon apparently left at the Castillo from the Spanish period, a tie to the past use of this property.

Thomas Dibblee died in 1895. His widow, Francisca de la Guerra, sold the property to Frederick W. Leadbetter on February 17,1906. Francisca moved to 2382 Santa Barbara Street. Oddly the two cannon went with her and were decorations for 20 years. Both cannon were donated to the scrap drive during World War II.

A Rendering by Bud Rinker of El Castillo, constructed sometime after 1796, after which Punta Del Castillo is named. It had four to six bronze cannon. The square in the lower left is the Casa Mata. | Image: ‘Gunpowder and Canvas’ by Justin M. Ruhge

Frederick Leadbetter made his fortune in pulp paper and lumber, becoming head of five companies around Salem, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington. In January 1906, the Leadbetters spent weeks at the Potter Hotel. They were so impressed with the area that they purchased the Punta del Castillo for their winter home. For many years, they wintered in Santa Barbara but returned in May to their home in Portland.

Leadbetter was an avid polo player. Adjoining the Castle was sufficient space for a polo field and when he offered the use of the land to the Santa Barbara County Polo Club, they accepted and undertook to improve it. The one-time Indian burial grounds, and today’s soccer fields, were plowed in November 1910. A fence was installed along the bluffs so players would not race off the 100-foot heights. Since it was a more convenient location over Hope Ranch, it was favored by local teams for practice games.

The earthquake of June 29, 1925 destroyed the Mesa’s two best-known landmarks, the Coast Guard lighthouse and Dibblee’s Castle. The lighthouse tower toppled like a bowling pin and was replaced by an automated beacon on a steel tower. The Dibblee mansion was damaged beyond repair in the 1925 earthquake. Leadbetter decided to sell the property rather than try to rehabilitate it. The beach below is still known as Leadbetter Beach.

The Leadbetters moved to Montecito where they lived in Las Tejas when not traveling or in the northwest. They purchased the property in 1942 in a “fire sale” for $40,000 because the owners were fearful of a Japanese attack on them after the shelling at the Ellwood Oil Fields in February of that year. Frederick Leadbetter died in 1948 and Caroline Leadbetter continued to live in Las Tejas until her death in 1972, at age 100.

The Castle stood empty after the earthquake and was subject to vandalism for a number of years.

In 1932, the California State Department of Public Education purchased the land and contracted for the demolition of the mansion to make way for the new State Teachers’ College, which had outgrown its campus on the Riviera. The sandstone mansion was removed in 50 days at a cost of $1,095.

The Dibblee Mansion At Punta Del Castillo. Note cannon on the wall at the center. | Photo: Santa Barbara Historical Museum

Thomas Dibblee’s son, T. Wilson Dibblee, a banker, reclaimed the granite cornerstone and its contents, dating back half a century to 1882, and donated them to the Santa Barbara Historical Society. Something of the mansion can still be seen today. The sandstone blocks were salvaged by the WPA later in the 1930s and used to build the stone revetments on the south entrance to present day Santa Barbara City College.

In 1954, the Teachers’ College moved to what is now the UCSB Campus and the Castle property became the campus of Santa Barbara City College.

Modern changes to the waterfront beginning in the 1950s and into the 1960s removed any evidence of the Castle Rock or the Castillo when Cabrillo Boulevard was extended from the site of Fossil Hill at Castillo Street to Leadbetter Beach and on up to Shoreline Drive. The remaining bluffs were removed for fill and to make room for the harbor parking lots and park we see today.

With the passing of the Castle on the Hill and realignment of Cabrillo Boulevard, many are not aware of the initial reason for the street name — Castillo, which is still used in Santa Barbara today.

References: The History of Santa Barbara and Ventura County, Jesse D. Mason, 1882; An Artist Records The California Missions, 1883, Henry Chapman Ford, The Book Club of California, 1989; It Happened in Old Santa Barbara, Walker A. Tompkins, 1976; Gunpowder and Canvas, Justin M. Ruhge, 1987; Santa Barbara Neighborhoods, Walker A. Tompkins, 1989; Rancho San Julian, A. Dibblee Poett, 1991; Montecito and Santa Barbara, David F. Myrick, 2001; The Yankee Barbareños, Walker A. Tompkins, 2003.

About the author: Justin M. Ruhge is a Lompoc-based historian.