Valle Verde Timeline

Dr. Gustave Gabelman, pastor at First Baptist Church of Santa Barbara, begins a discussion with various church members about the needs of retired people in Santa Barbara. The pictured building, at 33 W. Victoria Street, is now the New Vic Theatre.  First Baptist Church of Santa Barbara moved to a new location in 1973 and is now known as Veronica Springs Church.

(Photo courtesy of Gledhill Library, Santa Barbara Historical Museum)

●    At the request of California Governor Goodwin Knight, the Board of Realtors selects Edna Beck to research senior housing needs in Santa Barbara.  Mrs. Beck is a realtor and a member of First Baptist Church of Santa Barbara.

● A group of First Baptist Church members begins to meet regularly to discuss senior housing, including Dr. Gustave Gabelman; Dr. Bowdre Carswell; Dr. Harold Carswell; J. R. Lamont; Robert Nichols; Edna Beck; and Fred Reid, a builder. A non-church member, attorney Charles Lynch, assists.

●    Verde Rutherford lists 80 acres of ranch property for sale “under certain conditions”.

●    Verde Rutherford and Edna Beck meet.

●    August 22: Santa Barbara Baptist Homes, Inc., a non-profit corporation, is formed with these founding members: Dr. Gustave Gabelman, president; Dr. Bowdre Carswell, vice-president; J. R. Lamont, secretary; and Fred Reid, treasurer.  Charles Lynch and Edna Beck were voted to board membership, with Mrs. Beck named chair of the Real Estate Committee.

●    Santa Barbara Baptist Homes, Inc. obtains the option to buy 50 acres of Verde Rutherford’s walnut orchard.

● March 3 & 17: Conditional Use Permit is approved by Planning Commission. Plan is for 182 independent living units, 15 bed skilled nursing facility, 350 residents and staff; a total of 90 parking spaces are required.

● May 24: City Council approval.

● Portions of the property, including Arroyo Burro Creek, are deeded to the City of Santa Barbara for use as Hidden Valley Park.

● 50 acres of the Rutherford property is transferred to Santa Barbara Baptist Homes Inc. for $200,000. On August 2, the land is annexed to the city for a fee of $1,000 per acre.

September: Santa Barbara architects Arendt, Mosher & Grant present site plan.

● Wes Trautner is appointed Site Administrator. He comes from Arizona, bringing his secretary Edna Mae Smith.

● March 12: Construction begins with Maino Construction Company as general contractor.

● Sales office opens.

James J. Welsh is appointed first Administrator; Edna Mae Smith is first Administrative Assistant; Wes Trautner, former Site Administrator, stays on as Activities Director.
(Photo from VV archive. Left to right: Doris Wells, Edna Beck, Edna Smith, Wes Trautner)

This newspaper clipping is from the Santa Barbara News-Press, December 25, 1966.  Most residents do not start moving in until 1967.  The dining room and the health center open in early 1967.

11 more acres are purchased from Verde Rutherford.

Board of trustees selects American Baptist Homes of the West (ABHOW) to take on management.

The Rev. Raymond (Ray) Schneider is appointed Administrator, coming from San Joaquin Gardens in Fresno.  He goes on to serve at Valle Verde from 1970 to 1996. (Photo from VV archive)

Trustees of Santa Barbara Baptist Homes and trustees of American Baptist Homes of the West agree to merge.

A dedication ceremony was held to celebrate the expansion of the Health Center, increasing the number of beds from 18 to 49.  U.S. Congressman Robert Lagomarsino was the speaker following an open house of the new unit.

The bridge over the creek at the northern end of Calle de los Amigos is built, with cost shared by city and ABHOW.

42 new northern units, between Mas Amigos and Senda Verde, are completed and occupied. (Photo from VV archive)

A 12-acre parcel west of Senda Verde is purchased from Verde Rutherford and annexed by the City of Santa Barbara (exact dates unverified).

New “west” expansion opens, including 28 new apartments, 43 personal care units (Quail Lodge), various supporting facilities, and pool.  26 skilled nursing beds are added to the Health Center.  (Photo from VV archive)

Verde Rutherford died on February 12, 1986.  In keeping with her wishes, her final 3.7 acres are sold to Valle Verde, including her cottage.

● All residential units are renumbered with new street addresses.
● Memory support facility opens (The Grove).

In the summer of 1998, a “gabion wall” (stacks of wire boxes filled with rock) were installed at the bend in Arroyo Burro Creek south of Torino Drive.  Then in 2005, steel pilings were installed, also south of Torino, to address damage from a March storm. (Photo from VV archive)

First set of solar photovoltaic panels are installed on top of the covered walkways for a total of 36 kilowatt hours of electricity.

The “Master Plan” included 40 new 2-bedroom homes, a cafe, a new fitness center, an expanded adminstration building with guest rooms, 3 new clubhouses, new parking areas and new landscaping.

In 2015, ABHOW announced its plan to affiliate with be.group (formerly Southern California Presbyterian Homes).  In 2016, the affiliation was completed under the name Cornerstone Affiliates, together serving communities in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada and Washington.  This new company rebranded under the name HumanGood in 2017.  In 2019, HumanGood affiliated with Presby's Inspired Life, serving the greater Philadelphia area, marking HumanGood's first expansion to the East Coast.