On June 29, 1925 at 6:42 am a major earthquake hit the area of Santa Barbara. It was 19 seconds in duration and registered 6.8 on the Richter magnitude scale. The downtown of Santa Barbara was destroyed, the Sheffield Dam collapsed, and thirteen people died. The facade of the Mission Santa Barbara was severely damaged and lost its statues. Three persons thought to shut off the town electricity and gas, thereby preventing catastrophic fire. The city was rebuilt in a unified Spanish Colonial Revival style in 1925-1929.
