People of Montecito: Trish Davis

Where Have You Lived in Montecito?

“My husband and I were fortunate to live at El Mirador, the old Armour estate, on Coast Village Road. The owners had been there since 1916. In fact the grand dame, Lolita Armour, just passed away a couple years ago. You would go in on a Friday after work, close the gates, and you just didn’t leave until you had to on Monday morning. It was just packed full of history. Walt Disney would come visit, Charles Lindbergh would ride with Los Rancheros Visitadores. It was just a magical time. El Mirador was 70 acres at the time, before it was divided up, and you could roam through the Japanese gardens. It was totally great with the owners if you had a party, as long as they were invited. You were happy to be allowed to bring your friends up there because it would be hard to describe what it was like if they never set foot on the property. [Where we lived], it was called the “old farm building.” At night, the peacocks would be up in the trees for safety. We would throw the windows open and the silhouettes of the peacocks, with all of their feathers handing down against the starry night, was really a mystical feeling. Behind those big gates was an incredible experience.”

Trish Davis– Montecito History Committee