The Mary C.W. Black Studio House was built in 1930 in Monterey, CA. The house is one of the best remaining examples of the Monterey architectural style and exhibits a high level of craftsmanship in its exterior finishes and decoration. In addition, the property retains a remarkable degree of integrity as constructed and evokes a strong sense of time and place.

The property was designed and built by Mary C.W. Black, who moved to Monterey from Santa Barbara, CA. She originally purchased the Jose Abrego adobe and, over time, bought the land surrounding the adobe. In 1930, she used her artistic background to design and build the Mary C.W. Black Studio House to use as a painting studio on her acquired property.

Mary C.W. Black’s surroundings in Santa Barbara and Monterey influenced the design of the Studio House. The Spanish Colonial Revival style became one of the most popular architectural styles in Californian towns, including Santa Barbara, after its introduction by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue at the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in San Diego.

On the Monterey Peninsula, the Spanish Colonial Revival style got its most significant impetus from the 1924 redesign of the old Del Monte Hotel and the development of Pebble Beach. In 1919, S.F.B. Morse and his partners purchased the two properties from the Pacific Improvement Company and began developing a recreationally oriented elite colony in the forest around a series of world-class golf courses. One of the specific deed requirements for membership in the 1924 Monterey Peninsula Country Club was the construction of residential homes in a style of architecture like that found in early California, Spain, Italy, Southern France, or Mexico.