Stearns Wharf
Stearns Wharf is Santa Barbara’s Number 1 attraction. When completed in 1872, it became the longest deep-water pier between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The transition from a key contributor to coastal commerce to a popular public attraction has been marred by storms, fires and more. Named for its builder, local lumberman John P. Stearns, the wharf served the passenger and freight shipping needs of California’s South Coast for over a quarter century. During December 1878, storms destroyed and washed away more than 1,000 feet of the wharf. The Harbor Restaurant was built on the wharf in 1941, marking an end to the shipping and transportation era of the 19th century. An earthquake in 1925 and fires in 1973 and 1998 caused closures of portions of the pier. Nonetheless, Stearns Wharf stands today as Santa Barbara’s most visited landmark.
Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County
Photographer: Andrew Schmidt