La Misión de la Purísima Concepción de la Santísima Virgen María

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.

CCC restoration of the old church building.

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.

La caretta

Entryway to the cemetary

The old church

Wool from the sheep in the corrals were spun into thread and then woven into cloth.

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.

Olive trees

Olive mill

Olive press

Kitchen of the Mayordomo

Apartment for a soldier

Barracks

Indoor stove

Outdoor cooking area

Community kitchen

The mission residence building includes quarters for the padres, offices, a chapel, wine cellar, and various workshops.

Hide racks

Leather shop

El baño

Tallow vats

Pottery workshop

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.