Growth was so rapid that a new campus was needed . When the 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake destroyed Dibblee 's imposing stone mansion , Punta Del Castillo , on the cliff overlooking the harbor , land was available , and , by 1932 , it had been purchased for the college . Remains of the mansion were cleared and the stone was used to build the retaining wall on Cliff Drive . The first building was completed in 1941
1925 Santa Barbara earthquake
1925 Santa Barbara earthquake
History of the University of California, Santa Barbara