The Late Fess Parker’s Santa Barbara Mansion Lists for $21.95 Million
The historic Santa Barbara estate once owned by late actor and winemaker Fess Parker has hit the market for $21.95 million, bringing with it a history that also includes culinary icon Julia Child.
Parker, best known for starring as Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, was friends with Child, who used the estate as the filming location for her 13-episode PBS series “Dinner at Julia’s” in the 1980s.
Known as Four Oaks for the trees that remain on the property, the nearly three-acre Hope Ranch estate was commissioned in 1934 by the family of a prominent Chicago banking heir who enlisted the Edwards & Plunkett firm to design it.
Property Highlights
Price: $21.95 Million
Location: Santa Barbara, California
Size: 9,662 square feet
Lot Size: 2.89 acres
Bedrooms: 6
Bathrooms: 11
Notable Features: Detached guest house, tennis court, swimming pool, rose gardens, citrus allée, wood-paneled library, double-island chef’s kitchen, exercise room, covered patios, nearly three acres of flat grounds
Inside The Historic Hope Ranch Mansion
Once you step inside Parker’s former home, you’ll find the living room opening to a covered patio and the outdoors, while a nearby wood-paneled library overlooks the lawn.
From the living spaces, the floor plan continues through the formal dining room and butler’s pantry into a bright chef’s kitchen with two islands and a professional-style range.
The kitchen then opens in one direction to the family room and in another to a trellised outdoor dining patio.
A separate bedroom wing contains four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and an exercise room. Upstairs, the primary suite has its own sitting room, two large closets, a spacious bathroom, and a covered deck overlooking the gardens.
Outside, the home’s 2.89 acres are unusually flat for Hope Ranch, with a large lawn extending from the house toward a pool, tennis court, and a detached guest house.
On the way to the outdoor amenities, stone paths wind through rose gardens, a citrus allée, and tall trees that gave the estate its name.
Full Video Tour
With an estate this big and historic, photos can only go so far as to show you how beautiful this home truly is.
Rather, the details that set it apart come from what you can see in the video tour from Sotheby’s Market Leaders, such as the pool’s water features, the calm breeze of the trees, and even the flow from room to room with fires roaring in the hearths.
Final Thoughts
Four Oaks has accumulated a history that few Santa Barbara estates can match, from Fess Parker’s ownership to Julia Child’s use as a television kitchen. Both are historic chapters in a residence that has now stood in Hope Ranch for more than 90 years.
That history is, of course, part of the home’s appeal, but it’s really just an added plus, along with nearly three acres of land, expansive living spaces, and multiple bedrooms.
Overall, this listing offers a buyer the chance to own a home with a remarkable story, lots of space, privacy, and peacefulness not far from the water.
