Mission Santa Clara
Did you know that Mission Santa Clara is a university? Mission Santa Clara is the only mission to become a University. Many people still go there today. Some things are the original items from the mission like the cross at the front. Today the cross is covered in redwood but you can still see it behind the redwood. The adobe walls were replaced with wood to keep rain out and also because they were breaking. The builders also made it bigger when they were replacing the walls. You will see that Mission Santa Clara has a very interesting history.
Padre Tomas de la Pena and Father Serra founded Mission Santa Clara on January 12, 1777. Father Serra got someone else to do the work at the mission for him. This man’s name was Padre Tomas de la Pena. The purpose of Mission Santa Clara was to get the Indians on their side to help keep away their enemies. Father Serra had a plan to keep all the land he got by putting up missions, but still have a reason to do it.
There were many Indian tribes at Mission Santa Clara. These tribes were the Bay Miwok, the Ohlone, the Tamyen, the Yokuts, and the Coastanoan. Many crops were grown at the mission. Grain, wheat, barley, and corn were important crops. Life for the tribes at Mission Santa Clara was very hard because they couldn’t keep their traditions. Only some Indians could because the priests gave them permission. After an Indian was baptized they were not able to keep any of their traditions.
Mission Santa Clara was built out of wood and adobe. The mission had a cross at the front entrance. There were also a few statues and a bell that was a gift.
The second site of mission Mission Santa Clara was a temporary location while they were looking for the third site and until Father Serra could bless the final location. In 1818 after damage from an earthquake they had to build a temporary church. An interesting fact about Mission Santa Clara is that it is the only mission built to honor a woman. Mission Santa Clara still rings its bells just as it has for over 200 years. There was a fire that was caused by the wiring in the Northern tower. There were two towers at the time this happened.
Mission Santa Clara was never closed or abandoned. From both age and damage there has been restoration work on the mission. These projects began in 1822 and again in 1928. Today the mission is used as a university. I studied this mission because it sounded interesting. There was a lot of information about its history.
Some quick facts I learned when we visited:
Mission Santa Clara was founded by Junipero Serra
It was founded January 1777
Mission Santa Clara is now used as a University
The mission building is used as the student chapel in the University
There is a museum near Mission Santa Clara
Mission Santa Clara was never closed or abandoned
Mission Santa Clara was the first college in California
The Cross In The Cemetery
Mission Santa Clara
The Cross In Front Of Mission Santa Clara
Sign On The Building
Statue On The Building
Inside Mission Santa Clara
Organs In Missiion Santa Clara
Statue On The Building
Statue Of Father Serra
A Bell at Mission Santa Clara
The Remaining Wood From The Original Cross
January 15th, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Very well written. Nice photos too. Congrats on the new blog, Jared. You are following in your techie-rents footsteps!