In fact, the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation during this time established itself as the “Mud People,” as one of the board members called us.
As previously mentioned, on my arrival in 1981 the trust had been rebuilding the presidio padres’ quarters next to the chapel at 123 E. Canon Perdido. The building was dedicated on April 21, 1982, on the 200th anniversary of the presidio’s founding.
To this day, perhaps the most important event in the SBTHP’s history was about to commence: the reconstruction of the Presidio Chapel.
By 1982, a set of chapel reconstruction plans, created by architect Gil Sanchez, were submitted to California State Parks. Normally, a fully adopted general plan for a state park is required before any major projects may be undertaken. However, the parks department allowed the project to proceed before the general plan for El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park was adopted in 1988.