Houses have been moved around for about as long as there have been houses. Often, houses were moved as neighborhoods evolved. For example, as early as 1886, a real estate developer bought a lot at the corner of State and Anapamu streets and moved a house off the property in order to construct a commercial building. A lot of houses were moved in Santa Barbara in the 1920s as the city expanded. In 1922, the local paper noted that there had been 33 house-moving permits issued that year.
Recently, I received an email from someone who said that he had heard that his childhood home — the cute little home at 1705 Castillo Street — had been moved there from another location. I did some research and found a city document that listed the home’s original address — 811 Santa Barbara Street — when the house was moved several months after the 1925 earthquake. That location is now a group of stores on the northwest corner of Santa Barbara and De le Guerra streets.
Generally, long wooden or steel beams were inserted through the foundation under the floor. The beams were lifted by hydraulic jacks or jack screws (large screws), a vehicle such as a flatbed truck was inserted underneath, and the whole dwelling was slowly transported. Some people actually traveled in their home as it moved along.
House-Moving Stories
In the 1940s, some people in Hollywood used a house moving as an excuse for a party. “Party Held While House is Moved. … A two-story bungalow … was condemned to make way for the Hollywood Freeway construction. While the house movers moved the house last night to a new location, guests … frolicked within. Red lanterns and candles substituted for electric lights” (Pasadena Star-News, July 8, 1948).
In 1948, there was another house-moving story that was not the least bit funny. When the Hollywood Freeway was being built, more than 100 homes were ordered to be removed. Most of them were jacked up from their foundations when — oops! — the AFL House Movers union decided to go on strike. “Strike Leaves Houses Stranded on Freeway. … Some of the houses are on dollies, others on jacks, and many in the right-of-way” (Pasadena Star-News, May 26, 1948).
“City Council acted today to prevent 120 houses, whose travels were interrupted by the house movers’ strike, from toppling off their jacks and injuring persons and property. … The city would be faced with serious lawsuits if these houses caused damage” (Los Angeles Daily News, May 27, 1948).
After two weeks, the union ended the strike after receiving a pay increase. Whew!
More Problems
There was also the matter of moving utility wires and trimming trees as the houses moved along the streets. This became a problem in Santa Barbara in the early 1900s.
“An ordinance was introduced providing that companies maintaining wires less than 25 feet above the street, must lift them to all house moving without charge to the mover, but that when the wires were over 25 feet above the street, the expense of lifting them is to be met by the person requiring the work” (Santa Barbara Morning Press, October 6, 1905).
Shortly after that, the problem of removing tree limbs to facilitate a move caused a big ruckus. A new ordinance was introduced providing that “any person who desires to move a house must obtain a permit from the Superintendent of Streets, and that if there are any obstructions in the way of branches which cannot be temporarily held out of the way, the Street Superintendent shall cut away the obstruction” (Santa Barbara Morning Press, June 8, 1906).
This was vigorously opposed by several citizens. One furious homeowner stood out on the street guarding her tree. “I dare you to touch a leaf of that tree, much less remove one of its limbs. … That is my tree; it is upon my property; and if you injure as much as a leaf of it, you will regret it” (The Independent, June 20, 1906).
An unusual house-moving problem occurred here in 1915. “Says Local Man Stole House” was the headline of an article that stated that a man had moved a house on Milpas Street. But he didn’t get a permit for the move. And it wasn’t his house! Double oops! (Santa Barbara Daily News & Independent, December 1, 1915.)
A Big Success Story
In 1959, the Santa Barbara Historical Society moved a large Victorian home from 422 Santa Barbara Street across the city to its present home at 414 West Montecito Street. To facilitate the move, the home was cut into three pieces and then reassembled at its destination.
Please do not disturb the residents of these homes.
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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