This is a Craftsman Prairie School design that was built in 1914 and has been in steady use ever since. For example, more than 1,000 folks attended a “Welcome Home” dance one evening in June 1919 to celebrate the return of local soldiers after World War I.
A Santa Barbara paper wrote, “About 1,500 people made merry in the beautifully decorated interior of the Center, while red Chinese lanterns cast a soft glow over the court … Lively strains from the municipal band … contributed the one added touch needed to make of it a veritable fairyland.” The dances ranged from waltzes to fox trots.
(The architect was J. Corbley Pool.)
Image: Carrillo Recreation Center c. 1920, courtesy Edson Smith photo collection Santa Barbara Public Library