High in the Montecito hills, off of El Bosque Road, sits La Casa de Maria, an island of serenity and calm in an increasingly fast-paced world. This former citrus ranch is today a retreat and conference center offering a variety of programs for those of troubled mind and spirit.
In 1886, Richard Hoge of Montana purchased 20 acres from the owners of the San Ysidro Ranch for a lemon ranch, which he christened El Prado (The Meadow). Here he farmed successfully before selling to E. J. Miley in 1924, a building contractor who also made a sizeable fortune in Kern County oil. Miley engaged Mary Craig to design a new home for his Rancho El Bosque. Among her many Santa Barbara commissions, perhaps her best known is Plaza Rubio, the small subdivision facing the Mission Rose Garden.
Construction proceeded slowly, for Miley wanted the house made of hand-hewn stone drawn from the local creeks. Miley also imported stone and tile from various European sources to enhance his showcase. The onset of the Great Depression in 1929 dealt Miley’s fortunes a severe blow, and, in 1932 he was forced to sell the partially finished house to John and Ethel de Blois Wack.