104:
stand-by generator capable of supplying sufficient power to operate its shop, radio station, and the
Reserve Center itself, if the shore power should be cut off. A dispensary and a large area where cots can be place for disaster victims is available." Over the years facilities at the Naval Reserve Center were used by Santa Barbara City College, UC Santa Barbara, youth groups, a high-level scientific conference, and for numerous other activities of benefit to the community. It was also the home of Santa Barbara's first maritime museum, the Santa Barbara Naval and Maritime Museum, founded in 1982 by Lieutenant Commander Douglas Stouffer, commanding officer of the Naval Reserve Center.
17:
38:
96:(WPA). In 1939 the City of Santa Barbara had deeded the land to the Navy with the customary $ 1.00 payment to make the contract legal. The City transferred the land to the Navy because city leaders and many others in the community felt strongly that a Naval Reserve Armory would be beneficial to Santa Barbara. Local Reservists had already used their Navy training to help their community in many ways - from aiding in recovery efforts following a
120:
school. Photos from the period show a number of destroyers and sub-chasers tied up to Navy Pier. (Note: In 1959 the
Federal Government transferred Navy Pier to the City of Santa Barbara.) Members of the Sixth Division moved from the basement of the Santa Barbara County Courthouse to the Naval Armory.
107:
The Armory was about 90% complete at the entry of the US into World War II. All construction was abandoned and the building - without windows or plumbing - was boarded up. In 1942, the City of Santa
Barbara leased 0.9 acres of the harbor to the Federal Government for the construction of a Navy wharf
132:
In 1945 the Small Craft
Training Center was decommissioned, and the building was designated as United States Naval Reserve Armory, Santa Barbara. By 1948 the major work in the building had shifted from armory activities to the training of the reserves, so the facility was upgraded to Naval Reserve
103:
The City
Fathers also believed that the building itself, with its large assembly hall and classrooms, could be of benefit to the community. This proved to be true; in 1958 the Center's commanding officer reported "In a disaster the Naval Reserve Center is equipped to aid in civil defense. It has a
136:
In the mid-1990s - after lengthy negotiations - the Navy sold the
Reserve Center to the City of Santa Barbara for $ 2.4 million. A celebration was held on December 2, 1994, in which the city commemorated the closing of the center by staging a party with a World War II theme. Actress (and local
231:
69:
citizens organized the Sixth
Division of the California Naval militia to provide coastal defense for the central coast area. In those days, the Division conducted drills, knotting and splicing exercises, and honed their gunnery skills aboard visiting
24:
31:
133:
Training Center. For many years, local Naval
Reservists - men and (after 1957) women, served there. Their training and service in the Naval Reserve benefited their communities as well as their country.
283:
85:. Reporting aboard the USS Mount Vernon, a troop transport, they completed more than a dozen trips around the world, from the US to New Zealand, Singapore, and other ports until the War's end.
303:
298:
141:
was among the 500 guests. In
January 1995 the Navy ended its tenure at the Naval Reserve Center with a decommissioning ceremony. The command moved to a new facility on the
293:
244:
112:
range offshore. The following year several Naval
Reservists were ordered to active duty to put the Armory building in shape, and the facility was designated
288:
113:
97:
93:
157:). The former Naval Reserve Center building now houses the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, a restaurant, and offices.
154:
66:
50:
180:
in WW II, marine safety agencies, ranching on Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa and San Miguel Islands, and shipwrecks.
170:
166:
16:
177:
100:, to participating in neighborhood improvement efforts and a variety of other community activities.
92:, originally known as the Naval Reserve Armory, was built for the Navy by the Federal Government's
226:
169:
and the area's maritime heritage. Exhibits include area lighthouses and artifacts, including the
117:
221:
37:
74:
ships. During this period the division continued to expand, and, when called to active duty in
142:
197:
277:
173:
146:
138:
82:
165:
The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum focuses on the discovery and exploration of the
126:
75:
150:
122:
109:
23:
259:
246:
30:
81:
In November, 1941, the Sixth Division was called to active duty during
71:
88:
Located in the Santa Barbara waterfront area at 113 Harbor Way, the
36:
29:
22:
15:
236:
284:
Buildings and structures in Santa Barbara, California
176:, area fishing and diving industries, surfing, the
78:, it consisted of 123 enlisted and four officers.
198:"U.S. Naval Activities World War II by State"
8:
304:History of Santa Barbara County, California
299:Works Progress Administration in California
121:They were again called for duty during the
189:
149:(which - along with the Navy base at
7:
294:Museums in Santa Barbara, California
237:Santa Barbara Maritime Museum Site
222:Naval Base Ventura County: History
90:Naval Reserve Center Santa Barbara
14:
116:, Santa Barbara and used for a
289:Maritime museums in California
1:
227:Navy Pages with more pictures
161:Santa Barbara Maritime Museum
55:Santa Barbara Maritime Museum
41:Santa Barbara Maritime Museum
94:Works Project Administration
171:Point Conception Lighthouse
114:Small Craft Training Center
108:used in conjunction with a
320:
65:In 1897, a small group of
155:Naval Base Ventura County
67:Santa Barbara, California
51:Santa Barbara, California
232:NRC Port Hueneme History
57:along with other uses.
53:is the location of the
260:34.40396°N 119.69420°W
42:
34:
27:
20:
167:Santa Barbara Channel
98:disastrous earthquake
40:
33:
26:
19:
265:34.40396; -119.69420
178:Honda Point disaster
47:Naval Reserve Center
256: /
153:- is now known as
43:
35:
28:
21:
200:. Patrick Clancey
311:
271:
270:
268:
267:
266:
261:
257:
254:
253:
252:
249:
209:
208:
206:
205:
194:
319:
318:
314:
313:
312:
310:
309:
308:
274:
273:
264:
262:
258:
255:
250:
247:
245:
243:
242:
218:
213:
212:
203:
201:
196:
195:
191:
186:
163:
63:
12:
11:
5:
317:
315:
307:
306:
301:
296:
291:
286:
276:
275:
240:
239:
234:
229:
224:
217:
216:External links
214:
211:
210:
188:
187:
185:
182:
162:
159:
62:
59:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
316:
305:
302:
300:
297:
295:
292:
290:
287:
285:
282:
281:
279:
272:
269:
238:
235:
233:
230:
228:
225:
223:
220:
219:
215:
199:
193:
190:
183:
181:
179:
175:
172:
168:
160:
158:
156:
152:
148:
144:
140:
134:
130:
128:
124:
119:
115:
111:
105:
101:
99:
95:
91:
86:
84:
79:
77:
73:
68:
60:
58:
56:
52:
48:
39:
32:
25:
18:
241:
202:. Retrieved
192:
174:Fresnel lens
164:
147:Port Hueneme
139:Jane Russell
135:
131:
118:minesweeping
106:
102:
89:
87:
83:World War II
80:
64:
54:
49:building in
46:
44:
263: /
251:119°41′39″W
76:World War I
278:Categories
248:34°24′14″N
204:2012-03-19
184:References
151:Point Mugu
137:resident)
110:degaussing
145:base at
127:Vietnam
72:US Navy
61:History
143:Seabee
129:Wars.
123:Korean
125:and
45:The
280::
207:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
