Ventura County Landmark No. 97: Santa Paula Union High School

Pamela Post, Ph.D. and Timothy Hazeltine (2021) describe the Spanish Colonial Revival style as “one of several Period Revival styles that enjoyed great popularity in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s…In California, attempts to develop a regional motif began in the late 19th century. Inspired by the remaining examples of Mission period architecture in California and the American Southwest, the Mission Revival style (circa 1895-1915) was an early manifestation of this movement.”

“Attributes of the Spanish Colonial Revival style include, among others: 1) use of vernacular materials, such as plaster, stucco, wood, and terra cotta; 2) classically inspired ornamental detailing, ranging from the simple to the ornate; 3) the emphasis on broad uninterrupted wall surfaces, punctuated by careful use of openings (fenestration was generally asymmetrical; 4) an emphasis on the interplay of cubic volume (this interplay was not only picturesque, it emphasized the hierarchical division between a house’s utilitarian service areas, and the private and public areas, meant for the use of the family and its guests).” (Post and Hazeltine, 2021).