Mission Santa Barbara - Queen of the Missions

No travelogue of the American West would be complete without a page about the historic Spanish missions which spread across the southwest in the late 18th century.

The Spanish were of course the original western colonizers of the American Southwest including California. During the 18th century the Spanish Franciscan Order founded a series of missions in Arizona and California. Their purpose was essentially to convert Spain's newest subjects, the native Americans, to Christianity and educate them in European trades and crafts.

Right, a diagram of the mission locating the photos shown on this page. The building complex was perhaps three acres in size.

The missionaries of the Franciscan Order, founded in the 12th century by St. Francis of Assisi, were said to have been benevolent to the Indians and that they acted as advocates. They introduced modern farming, herding, and trades such as carpentry and masonry. The local native Americans, the Chumash, were originally hunter-gatherers. They eventually accepted Christianity and learned European technology and culture. This has been true in much of the southwest although most Indian communities also try to preserve their traditional beliefs and crafts.

Mission Santa Barbara was founded on December 4, 1786. The main church and sanctuary as seen today (shown left) was completed in 1820. The friary residence (shown right) and other buildings were added later and not completed until 1870.

Although the missionaries were always allowed to conduct services in the church the mission itself had a varied history in the 19th century. After most of the Indians were converted, the mission's main purpose was accomplished. The new Mexican government took over the mission in 1834 and eventually sold the land and buildings. In 1865, President Lincoln returned the mission to the Catholic Church. The mission later functioned as a high school, a junior college, and later, a seminary. It has been a museum since 1968 although the church itself is still active.

(Shown left) The artifacts of Bishop Garcia Diego, the first bishop of California, in his original quarters. Note the ghost in the right side of the photo!

The art collections and architecture of the missions have always been impressive. Santa Barbara is no exception. Much of its beautiful artwork is from the baroque and neoclassical eras, imported primarily from Mexico and South America. However there are several notable stone statues carved by a mission Indian. The beautiful fountain, shown left, was built in 1808, and is of Moorish design.

The church architecture is similar to many built in early 19th century Mexico: neoclassical in style with devices and features from imperial Rome.

The impressive architecture and beautiful artwork of the missions were intended to make a powerful impression in an undeveloped land. They still do today.

(Shown right) The skull and crossbones is the Spanish symbol for a cemetary. This cemetary was established in 1789, and inters thousands of Indians as well as European settlers and missionaries.)