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all of these medieval treasures remain in the house today. There was also
a 15
th
-century Gothic painted ceiling taken intact from a monastery near
Teruel, and which now graces the foyer of Casa del Herrero. The price for
this one-of-a-kind masterpiece: just $1,250 (plus shipping and handling!).
Steedman had the then-student artist Channing Peake (who later became
a well-known friend of Picasso) paint matching figures by the front door
and in the powder room. Byne chose another ceiling from the same
monastery for Hearst’s master bedroom at Hearst Castle.
They shipped many tiles from Spain but when they needed more,
Byne had to travel to Tunisia to find craftsmen equal to the exacting
standards. After the Steedmans moved in they needed still more tiles. Two
and one half years later the order arrived. It was learned that because Santa
Barbara County Courthouse was being built at the same time the small
factory couldn’t keep up with both orders. The Courthouse has also been
named a National Historic Landmark.
George Washington Smith’s associate, Lutah Maria Riggs, was an
early female architect and a peer of Hearst Castle architect Julia Morgan.
Riggs put her stamp on the property by adding a charming octagonal
book tower just off the living room. It was 1933, Smith had died and she
took over his practice. The tower was an anniversary gift to Carrie.
(left) In the distance, beyond
the gate, is a tile exedra that
adds a sense of age and
mystery to the garden at Casa
del Herrero
(below) This rill fountain or
runnel is one of many features
in the garden that invoke a
Moorish design style