The first '' comandante '' , José Francisco Ortega , planned the fortifications and irrigation works . He obtained livestock for the presidio from Mission San Buenaventura , established orchards , and began large-scale farming . In 1784 , Felipe de Goicoechea took over as comandante , supervising construction of the fortifications and living quarters for the soldiers and their families . Two years later , construction of the nearby Mission Santa Barbara began in 1786 . The '' pueblo '' or town of Santa Barbara developed around the Presidio , which offered protection for the residents . The chapel in the Presidio was the primary place of worship for the residents of early Santa Barbara , until its destruction by the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake . The mission , located a mile and a half inland , was mainly intended for use by the native Chumash ( Barbareño ) neophytes after their conversion to Catholicism
1857 Fort Tejon earthquake
1857 Fort Tejon earthquake
Presidio of Santa Barbara