Santa Barbara Mission Lavanderia

Santa Barbara Mission Lavanderia. . , This clothes washing basin or lavanderia was built by the Chumash Indians of Santa Barbara Mission village in 1808. Not all missions built such a structure. The Chumash particularly valued cleanliness and worked to construct this lavanderia fed by water from the complex aqueduct system. The only other colonial lavanderia, which survives intact, is at Mission San Luis Rey near Oceanside. Note the finely carved mountain lion's head forming the south spout, which was carved by a Chumash artisan and may be the oldest public sculpture in California. (The Bear's head on the north end is a modern replica.)

Please treat this historic structure with respect as the achievement of the Chumash people who lived and worked here in Mission time.

Landscaping around this lavanderia features native and colonial period plant varieties. Along the west (driveway) side from the north (fountain) end to the south various historic rose varieties are found interspersed with mission period cacti and perennials). The roses are from the north end, the native Rosa Californica, then the colonial import, Rose of Castile propagated from historic stock found at Mission San Antonio. Farther south is the "Kinevan Rose” from the stagecoach stop on San Marco Pass, a mid-nineteenth century variety from a ranch that gathered its orchard cuttings from Santa Barbara Mission stock.

At the Southwest fence corner is a Mission grape variety collected from Mission San Jose. Starting at the top (north) of the east fence plantings include the native "Rogers Red” grape and a selection of imported colonial period grapes collected from various and Mission and rancho sites (Mission San Jose, San Gabriel, La Purisima and various Santa Barbara County ranchos). The Chumash's success in cultivating these grapes originated the wine industry in Santa Barbara County.