Santa Barbara Has Something to Celebrate!
138 years after her birth, Santa Barbara honors the remarkable woman who helped shape the city we love—and brings back a little birthday tradition called the Scorpio Club.
What do cowboy boots, a birthday cake, a Scorpio Club, and the beautiful City of Santa Barbara have in common?
Pearl Chase, of course!
And on Monday, November 16, Santa Barbara is throwing her a birthday party!
Not just any birthday party, either. This one celebrates the 138th birthday of a woman whose vision, determination, and love for Santa Barbara helped shape the community we enjoy today.
If you’ve ever admired Santa Barbara’s Spanish-style architecture, its historic buildings, its beautiful streetscapes, or the preservation of its unique character, you have good reason to raise a glass to Pearl Chase.
And what better way to celebrate than by bringing back one of her own traditions?
The Scorpio Club Returns!
Pearl Chase was born November 16, 1888, under the zodiac sign of Scorpio. She founded the Scorpio Club, an organization celebrating the birthdays of civic-minded community members who shared her zodiac sign.
But this was no ordinary birthday club.
Its motto was “Work and Serve.”
Each year, members gathered not simply to celebrate another birthday but to share what they had accomplished to make Santa Barbara a better place.
Imagine that! A birthday party where the presents were the good things people had done for their community.
Now, that is a tradition worth bringing back.
The Pearl Chase Society, the Santa Barbara Carriage and Western Art Museum, and UCSB’s Special Research Collections are joining forces to celebrate her birthday and revive the spirit of the Scorpio Club.
And everyone is invited!
A Woman Who Believed in the Power of Citizens
Pearl Chase understood something that remains just as important today: A beautiful, thriving community doesn’t happen by accident, and government cannot do everything.
It takes citizens who care enough to get involved.
In a 1975 interview with Sunset Magazine, Chase observed:
“Government officials are temporary—they come and go—and this constant turnover means that many citizen organizations have far greater continuity and relative importance in community affairs.”
She also emphasized that successful community efforts must be led by citizens and citizen groups, with the interest and support of public agencies.
Those words are as meaningful today as they were more than 50 years ago.
When Pearl Chase passed away in 1979, just shy of her 91st birthday, Mayor David Schiffmann issued a proclamation honoring her extraordinary contributions.
He designated November 16, 1979, as Pearl Chase Commemoration Day and encouraged Santa Barbara residents to continue her example through their own acts of civic and social service.
What a wonderful legacy to leave behind.
A Few Treasures, Stories, and Surprises
This year’s birthday celebration promises more than cake and refreshments.
The Carriage and Western Art Museum has assembled a special display of personal treasures associated with Pearl Chase, including her custom cowboy boots, a leather-bound guestbook, and a 1973 Fiesta ribbon commemorating her role as Grand Marshal of the Old Spanish Days parade.
These are pieces of Santa Barbara history that many residents have never had the opportunity to see.
Laura Treat, curator of UCSB’s Special Research Collections, will share information about the extensive collection of materials donated by Pearl Chase and bring additional items for display.
Museum Director Dylan Peterson will discuss plans for the unique exhibit.
And Cheri Rae, Pearl Chase’s biographer, will share stories about the Scorpio Club and the remarkable woman behind it.
Those who personally knew or worked with Pearl Chase are especially encouraged to attend and share their memories.
What a wonderful opportunity to bring generations of Santa Barbara residents together!
You’re Invited to the Birthday Party!
Monday, November 16, 2026
6:00–8:00 p.m.
Santa Barbara Carriage and Western Art Museum
129 Castillo Street, Santa Barbara
Admission is free, refreshments will be served, and parking is available on the premises.
Donations are gratefully accepted to support the Pearl Chase Society’s educational and preservation efforts.
Copies of A String of Pearls: Pearl Chase of Santa Barbara will also be available.
Please RSVP:
Phone: (805) 961-3938
Email: events@carriagemuseum.org
Help Keep Pearl Chase’s Legacy Alive
And here’s another wonderful way to celebrate Pearl Chase’s birthday:
You are warmly invited to become a member of the Pearl Chase Society and help carry on the work she devoted her life to.
By joining the Society, you can become part of a community of people dedicated to preserving Santa Barbara’s history, architectural beauty, cultural heritage, and the unique character that Pearl Chase worked so tirelessly to protect.
After all, Pearl Chase believed that Santa Barbara’s future depended upon citizens who cared enough to get involved.
What better birthday gift could we give her than to join together and continue the work she began?
One More Thing Pearl Chase Taught Us
Perhaps the most meaningful part of this celebration isn’t the birthday cake, the historic treasures, or even the revival of the Scorpio Club.
It’s the reminder that one determined person, working with others, can make an extraordinary difference.
Pearl Chase didn’t simply admire Santa Barbara. She worked to protect it, improve it, and preserve what made it special.
And she encouraged others to do the same.
So whether you’ve lived in Santa Barbara for generations or have only recently discovered its charm, this is an opportunity to celebrate the woman who helped make it the place we call home.
Happy 138th Birthday, Pearl Chase!
Your beloved Santa Barbara remembers you.
And perhaps the best birthday present we can give you is to carry on your motto:
“Work and Serve.”
Now, who’s bringing the birthday candles?
Pearl Chase gave so much to the Santa Barbara we love. Now it’s our turn to celebrate her legacy and help carry it forward. I hope to see you there!
A great commentary. Sorry to say Pearl would cry if she were alive to see the declinization of what was essentially her making- a small city that respected the God given aura of the place.
We are led by forces that dont understand the necessary vigilance Pearl had in preserving the aesthetics of this vaunted place. There was a paradisical rapture of balance-architectural scale from the mountains to the sea.
Pearl Chase founded the Organization of which I was the executive director for 28 years and seven more years as projects administrator. The Organization, of course, is the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation. Its primary project was reconstruction of the Presidio. She donated her entire estate to our organization through her will. She was always an inspiration to me and I tried to pay respect to her by being committed to the The project that was most important to her—the presidio ; during my tenure we were able to acquire all the land needed for the project from willing sellers and were able to rebuild about a third of the adobe buildings, including the Presidio Chapel. We also restored the Alhrcama theater on the site and created a two-story Presidio research center; among the acquisitions were Jimmy’s Oriental Gardens. Thanks to then owner Bob Lovejoy of it the bar was restored to its actual original configuration in the 1950s.Trust also oversaw the restoration of the El Paseo complex which was donated in her name to the trust which placed a historic easement over the complex to protect it after it was sold. We also restored the Casa de lol Guerra Adobe. There is more work to be done at the Presidio in the future. I hope the current board of the Trust keeps alive her memory and forges forth to finish the Presidio project that includes about 2/3 reconstruction of the fort and its front gate. Pearl Chase knew that the Presidio project was not only the founding site of our community, but of National and international importance that connects to the history of Mexico and Spain. She was a truly great woman.