During the 1920s and 1930s, there was a national contest called Better Homes in America. In February 1930, local real estate agent James D. Crawford obtained the building permit to build the home that now stands at 2940 Ventura Drive. The cost was $4,500 to build the home and garage. Unfortunately, the name of the architect was not mentioned. In April 1930, when the paint was barely dry, the home won an award for “Distinctive Small House.” The home’s current owner, Charmien Carrier, proudly showed me the framed copy of the award, which is signed by Pearl Chase.
The Better Homes in America campaign began in 1922 for a couple of reasons. One was the shortage of buildings after World War I and the Spanish flu. The campaign may also have been related to the fact that women finally gained the right to vote in 1919, so politicians began to focus on women and the importance of the home.
Vice President Calvin Coolidge wrote in 1922, “Apparently the world at large, certainly our own country, is turning more and more for guidance to the wisdom born of affection which we call the intuition of woman. Her first thought is always of the home. Her first care is for its provision. As our laws and customs are improved by her influence, it is likely to be first in the direction of greater facility for acquiring and greater security in holding a home” (The Delineator, October 1922).
The local paper explained it in one of the longest sentences I’ve read: “The purpose of the movement for Better Homes in America is to put knowledge of high standards of home building, home furnishing and equipment within the reach of all citizens, to encourage general study of the housing problem and problems of family life, to encourage instruction in home economics and home life in the public schools, to promote the improvement of house lots, yards, neighborhoods, to extend knowledge of the ways of making home life more attractive through home music and home play, and to serve as a clearing house of sources of information on home problems” (Santa Barbara Morning Press, May 10, 1925). It should not surprise us that Pearl Chase was the leader of this program in Santa Barbara.
The House Becomes a Home
Shortly after this home received the award, a pair of newlyweds took possession of the home and more or less lived here for more than 70 years. The young couple was Howard Prescott Miller and his bride, Antoinette (Ann) Negrich. HP Miller, as he was often called, was an engineer who was a native-born Santa Barbaran. He was also a pilot. When he registered for the draft in World War I, his occupation was listed as “aeroplane machinist,” and he worked for Loughead (Lockheed) Aircraft at 101 State Street. Today, there’s a plaque at that location dedicated to the years when the Lockheed brothers built seaplanes and launched them at West Beach.
After the war, Santa Barbara was visited by the king and queen of Belgium, who were on a tour of the U.S. to thank us for our support of the war effort. King Albert and Queen Elizabeth were both brave enough to fly around Santa Barbara in the Lockheed seaplanes. The king presented Miller with a leather coat to thank him for his help with their visit here.
After the Lockheeds moved their business from Santa Barbara, HP Miller stayed here and switched from planes to boats and cars. He ran a business selling boats, motors for boats, and scuba diving equipment. In the 1950s, the Millers divorced, but Ann stayed in the house until her death in 2003.
Charmien Carrier bought the home in 2007. She loves the style of the home and pointed out the heavy redwood posts on the front porch, as well as the massive wooden shutters. The archways inside the home add character too. The kitchen cabinets and counter are original.
Please do not disturb the residents of this home.
Betsy J. Green is a Santa Barbara historian, and author of Discovering the History of Your House and Your Neighborhood, Santa Monica Press, 2002. Her website is betsyjgreen.com.
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