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In the late 1700s, Spain expanded its colonization of North America by building missions on what is now the California coast. This system was well established in New Spain (now Mexico) as a method to claim land and gain the labor of the Native people.
Misión San Francisco de Asís was the sixth mission in the system run by Father Junípero Serra. Although named after St. Francis of Assisi, the mission is often called Mission Dolores for the creek located nearby. There are about 36,000 bricks in the adobe structure that was completed in October 1776.
Misión San Francisco de Asís was the sixth mission in the system run by Father Junípero Serra. Although named after St. Francis of Assisi, the mission is often called Mission Dolores for the creek located nearby. There are about 36,000 bricks in the adobe structure that was completed in October 1776.
Prior to the arrival of the Spanish, this area was home of the Yelamu Ohlone village of Chutchui. The establishment of the mission permanently changed the land and the lives of the people living here. A mission was an entire economic community. Workshops existed. Crops were grown. Livestock grazed. Hides were traded for supplies. The diorama on display as well historical photos help to create a visual of this time period. As Yerba Buena (now San Francisco) developed and changed, the mission became neglected and dismantled. It spent years being part of the Rancho San Miguel owned by the Noé family. It was eventually returned to the Catholic Church in 1850 with a larger Basilica church built next door. |
Although mission era history is often presented from one point of view, Mission Dolores does a fantastic job telling the stories of all the people impacted by its presence.
Artifacts, historical stories, and a representation of Chutchui teach about the first people, the Yelamu Ohlone, The cemetery’s garden highlights the native plants of the area and the chapel has traditional murals. Spanish settlement and the role of the mission system are shown through the history of the original chapel, a detailed diorama, and many religious artifacts. The cemetery is the resting place for many of the early settlers of Yerba Buena such as the first Mexican governor, Luis Antonio Arguello, William Leidesdorff, the first alcade of Yerba Buena, and Lieutenant José Joaquin Moraga, the first commandant of the Presidio. It also shows the impact of the pioneer life on a community. There are many children in the cemetery as well as three men killed by vigilante justice in the 1800s.
As the oldest building of San Francisco, Mission Dolores has been witness to much history in the past two hundred years.
Artifacts, historical stories, and a representation of Chutchui teach about the first people, the Yelamu Ohlone, The cemetery’s garden highlights the native plants of the area and the chapel has traditional murals. Spanish settlement and the role of the mission system are shown through the history of the original chapel, a detailed diorama, and many religious artifacts. The cemetery is the resting place for many of the early settlers of Yerba Buena such as the first Mexican governor, Luis Antonio Arguello, William Leidesdorff, the first alcade of Yerba Buena, and Lieutenant José Joaquin Moraga, the first commandant of the Presidio. It also shows the impact of the pioneer life on a community. There are many children in the cemetery as well as three men killed by vigilante justice in the 1800s.
As the oldest building of San Francisco, Mission Dolores has been witness to much history in the past two hundred years.
*There is street parking available or the MUNI J/Church a block away. BART to 16th and Mission is also an option. *Dolores Park is at 18th and Dolores is available for a lunch/play. *Walk in tours are available for individuals or families but school groups need to reserve a tour ahead of time. Docent tours are also available. Admission is charged. |
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