12.9.2016 | DIGS.NET 55
A classic of Cape Dutch design makes for
an enduring memory in Montecito
W R I T T E N BY V I R G I N I A FAY
P H OTO S C O U R T ES Y O F J I M B A R T S C H
F
or nearly a century, a bright white home has presided over the
glowing green grounds of Constantia, an estate nestled between
the mountains and the sea in Montecito, California. Built in 1930, the
building is as dignified, yet breezily inviting, today as the day it was built.
The residence was designed by famed architect Ambrose Cramer
as a summer home for his father-in-law, Arthur Meeker, executive vice
president of Chicago's Armour meat packing company, who was of the
belief that Santa Barbara and Cape Town shared similar appeals in climate
and scenery. As such, Meeker commissioned the home in Dutch South
African style, marked by great gables and half-shuttered wide windows,
as well as a high-pitched roof and gently curving Dutch archways. The
bold, graceful lines of the façade obscure the peaked second story roof,
serving the dual purpose of creating a commanding entryway.
Timeless
California Charm
