Rebuilding a Presidio: Interview with Jarrell Jackman

Soldiers and presidios played a key role in establishing the Spanish presence in California, but they are still misunderstood. Jarrell Jackman has been at the forefront of preserving and documenting this crucial element of the California frontier.

Jarrell C. Jackman

Dr. Jarrell C. Jackman was Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation for 28 years, where his efforts focused on rebuilding and interpreting the 18th century site of the Santa Barbara Presidio, including reconstruction of the Presidio Chapel. Dr. Jackman oversaw the presidio site’s reconstruction, ensuring that interpretations are based on extensive research, historic background information and archaeological investigations. The Santa Barbara Presidio is widely recognized as the best example of a Spanish American colonial fort.

Under Dr. Jackman’s directorship, the Santa Barbara Trust acquired other important Hispanic-period resources, including Casa de la Guerra, one of the most intact early California adobes, the Rochin Adobe, and the Santa Inés Mission mills and surrounding property.

Dr. Jackman authored Santa Barbara: Historical Themes and Images, and a biography of Presidio Comandante Felipe Goicoechea. He recently received Spain’s La Medalla de Isabela la Catolica. 

Episode Highlights

• The Alta California presidios and why Santa Barbara was so important.
• Why rebuilding the Santa Barbara Presidio became controversial.
• The different communities that lived in the presidio area.
• Norman Neuerberg, restorer of the California missions.
• How it took 3-4 million pounds of adobe bricks to make the presidio.
• How many soldiers lived at the presidio?
• How court cases provide important historical insights into early California history.
• How Spanish presidios were modeled on Roman forts.
• El Camino Real de California as possible World Heritage site.
• The friendship between a Spanish governor and a Chumash chieftain.
• The Basques in the Spanish territories.

To Learn More

• The Presidio Alliance: https://www.thepresidioalliance.org/
• The Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation
• Book: Documenting Everyday Life in Early Spanish California: The Santa Barbara Presidio Memorias y Facturas 1779-1810 by Giorgio Perissinotto.
• Book: El Camino Real de California by Joseph P. Sánchez.
• Soldiers and Presidios in Alta California (with video)