Community Spotlight - Ennisbrook, Montecito
On a hill commanding a grand view of the Pacific, just off San Leandro Lane, is the residential development of Ennisbrook with luxurious homes and rich history.
HISTORY OF ENNISBROOK
In 1845, retired presidio soldier Nemecio Dominguez was granted 356 acres of Santa Barbara’s pueblo lands in Montecito, known as Rancho San Leandro.
In 1868, seven years before his death, Dominguez sold Rancho San Leandro to Edward Doty who very soon after sold it to Jarvis Swift, a hotel operator from Nevada. It was under Swift, and then his son James, that major improvements were made on the ranch.
Further ownership of Rancho San Leandro changes followed.
Local attorney George Gould, purchased the property and was responsible for putting in the two arched stone bridges that still grace the property. The Gould family grew deep roots in the Montecito community. Clara and Frederick Gould, lived in an Egyptian mansion that was built in roughly the same location as 296 Las Entradas Drive. Clara, an early donor to the Natural History Museum and other civic projects in Santa Barbara, live there until her death in 1948.
In 1916, Herbert Cox purchased the property from Gould and rechristened the property as Ennisbrook. Elmer J. Boeseke Jr. bought Ennisbrook in 1926 and it became a center for local polo, with the Santa Barbara Polo Club using the facilities Cox built until the early 1930s.
Pat Bourgeois bought Ennisbrook in 1986. After a short two years, the county approved their plans to build 63 homes on the former Rancho San Leandro. In order to build, the developers had to open Montecito’s first nature preserve, 44 wooded acres along San Ysidro Creek. The preserve opened to the public in 1990 and is a favorite with hikers.
The marriage of nature preserve and residential development makes Ennisbrook unique in Montecito.
AN ARCHITECTURAL MASTERPIECE
IN ENNISBROOK
Drawing inspiration from international influences around the globe, Thomas Bollay has designed a home that encourages exploration and imagination with architectural intricacies and artful accents at every turn.
Previous owners commissioned Eva Wong, a Master of Feng Shui, to thoroughly diagnose and treat the home. Several of the rooms, including the kitchen, have particularly auspicious placement, and the living room is ideal for entertaining heads of state and people of great influence.
While the house is modern and cozy, it also has the elevated feeling of an old-world temple. The exceptional natural light illuminates every room with a beautiful glow.
This Montecito masterpiece sits on a unique 2.9-acre promontory, which is especially significant to indigenous locals, as artifacts have been found on the property. Offering a rare 360-degree bird's eye view out to the Pacific Ocean and along the Santa Barbara coastline, harbor and Santa Ynez mountains, this property is more than a home, it's an experience..
6 Bed/11 Bath | 2.96 Acres | Guest House | Office Building | Pool | Tennis Court Pavilion | Home Theater | Wine Cellar | Gym and Sauna | Meditation Room | Koi Pond | 360-Degree Ocean, Mountain & Harbor Views
Click here to learn more about Villa De La Vista and to read the full article on Ennisbrook and its history, visit the Santa Barbara Independent's website here.
