Mission La Purísima Concepción is part of the
La Purísima Mission State Historic Park, and a real must see for anyone interested in the workings of a historical Spanish mission. The site is also significant as a center of the
1824 Chumash revolt.
The current mission is located about 4 miles northeast of the
original site of the 11th California mission, which was destroyed in an earthquake in 1812. A marker stone at the end of a suburban cul-de-sac indicates the site of the old mission, but the only remains are a couple of ruined walls.
The relocated mission was unique in that the buildings were laid out in straight lines instead of in the typical quadrangle used for all the other missions.
The mission was secularized in 1834, and after a few decades, the only structure left standing seems to have been the mission residence building.
A full restoration of the mission was taken up by the National Park Service and the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935, but I'm not sure how the La Purísima Advisory Committee came up with the architectural design used for reconstructing the mission.
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| CCC restoration of the old church building. |
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| Mission residence building, 1904 |
The area in front of the mission has a number of corrals for cattle, swine, and sheep. Several wooden ox carts are also on display on the grounds.
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| La caretta |
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| Entryway to the cemetary |
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| The old church |
Wool from the sheep in the corrals were spun into thread and then woven into cloth.
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The room of the master weaver
looks like it's straight out of the
Rumplestiltskin fairy tale |
Olive oil was also produced at the mission.
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| Olive trees |
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| Olive mill |
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| Olive press |
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| Kitchen of the Mayordomo |
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| Apartment for a soldier |
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| Barracks |
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| Indoor stove |
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| Outdoor cooking area |
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| Community kitchen |
The mission residence building includes quarters for the padres, offices, a chapel, wine cellar, and various workshops.
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| Hide racks |
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| Leather shop |
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| El baño |
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| Tallow vats |
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| Pottery workshop |
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| Pottery kiln |
There were actually a number of other buildings that I didn't see since I didn't really look at the park map beforehand, but Mission La Purísima is definitely worth another visit.
