The Story Of… Mission Dolores in San Francisco

Exclusive Interview conducted with Andrew Galvan
By Karen Beishuizen
Photos courtesy of Mission Dolores

The Mission San Francisco de Asís was founded October 9, 1776. The settlement was named for St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan Order, but was also commonly known as “Mission Dolores” owing to the presence of a nearby creek named Arroyo de los Dolores, or “Creek of Sorrows.” Mission Dolores is the oldest intact building in the City of San Francisco and the only intact Mission Chapel in the chain of 21 established under the direction of Father Serra. The Mission has been a steadfast witness to the span of San Francisco’s history including the California Gold Rush and the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.

The Mission Cemetery is the only cemetery that remains within the city limits. The Cemetery is the final resting place for numerous Ohlone, Miwok, and other First Californians as well as notable California pioneers. Mission Dolores was used as the location of Carlotta Valdes’s grave in Hitchcock’s Vertigo. Every year thousands of visitors from all over the world come to visit the old mission and walk about the peaceful cemetery. If you are in San Francisco, do check out Mission Dolores!

KB: Describe to the RSR readers how Mission Dolores was founded and by who?

Historical Background:

King Ferdinand V, Queen Isabella I and others before them made Spain famous. They ruled in the late 1400s. Ferdinand and Isabella sent people to explore the world. They told them to look for spices, silk, pearls, gold and silver. They wanted to get these things straight from the East instead of getting them from Arab, Genoese and Venetian traders.

The explorers claimed land for Spain everywhere they went, even if someone else was already living there. Soon, Spain claimed half the world: Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, half of South America and a big part of the United States.

In 1542, Juan Cabrillo visited the Pacific Coast. He claimed the land for Spain. Spanish explorer Vizcaino came by in 1602. The Spanish built churches and settlements in Mexico but did nothing with the area that is now the state of California for a long time.

Things changed in the late 1760s. Spanish people did not know how to get to places on the coast by land, so they had to go by sea. They had two ports in San Diego and Monterey. Fur hunters moved in from the north. English traders built a fort near Portland, Oregon.

The King of Spain got worried. His ships sailed across the Pacific Ocean to the Philippines. He was afraid that others would take his land and stop his ships.

The King sent soldiers and priests into “New” California, the area that is now the state of California. He thought they could establish Spanish towns in San Diego and Monterey to keep other countries out. He thought they would also convert the natives to the Catholic faith and teach them to live in towns.

Franciscan priest Father Junipero (who-knee-PAIR-oh) Serra oversaw the new missions. He was from Spain and came to Mexico in 1749.

The King of Spain said the mission land belonged to the Indians. The mission Fathers were supposed to watch over the Indians until they knew the Spanish ways better and could take care of their own rights. In Mexico, this took about ten years. There, the Indians already lived in towns. In California, the Indians did not live in one place all year, so it took them longer to learn the Spanish ways.

Mission San Francisco de Asis, more commonly known as Mission Dolores, was established on June 29, 1776, five days before the founding of the United States of America.

Its popular name comes from a lake which once was nearby, Laguna (de Nuestra Senora) de los Dolores (Lake of Our Lady of Sorrows). Spanish captain and explorer Juan Bautista de Anza named the lake for its discovery on March 29, 1776, the Friday before Palm Sunday, the feast day of the Seven Sorrows (Dolores) of Mary.

It was there that Father Pedro Font and the Spanish colonists settled briefly until the Mission was established initially by Padre Francisco Palou and later by Padre Benito Cambon in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan Order. Its formal founding date, as the sixth of the 21 Alta California Missions, is October 9, 1776. The establishment of a mission in Alta California in honor of St. Francis was the fulfillment of the greatest hope of the founder of the California Missions, Padre Junipero Serra.

The most obvious indication of the historical significance of Mission Dolores is that it is the oldest intact building in the City and County of San Francisco. In fact, it is the oldest intact mission in California. Beyond its age it has great symbolic significance: Its Franciscan founders were motivated by the example of St. Francis to bring the message of God’s love and salvation to the peoples of the “so-called” New World. The spirit of generosity and tolerance that marks San Francisco today can be traced in no small part to the ideals of St. Francis imparted by the Mission founders.

KB: Who was Junipero Serra and what is the story about his statue?

A full-length portrait sculpture of Junípero Serra is on the property of the mission. The cast stone sculpture, by Arthur Putnam, was completed in 1909, cast between 1916 and 1917, and installed in 1918 when the mission was remodeled. Funding for the piece came from D.J. McQuarry and it cost $500 to cast. It is approximately 6 ft 6 in tall. The sculpture depicts Serra wearing a Franciscan friar’s robe belted at the waist with a knotted rope and a rosary around his neck. He looks down, with his head bowed and eyes downward. The sculpture is on a concrete base. It is one of a series of allegorical figures commissioned by the estate of E. W. Scripps to depict California history. In 1993 it was examined by the Smithsonian Institution’s Save Outdoor Sculpture! program. The program determined that the sculpture was well maintained

SAINT JUNIPERO SERRA, OFM
1713 – 1784

The Apostle of California was born in the village of Petra on the Balearic Isle of Mallorca, November 24, 1713. The religious promise of his youth prompted him to enter the Franciscan Order and to study for the Sacred Priesthood. He earned the doctorate in Sacred Theology at the National University of Blessed Ramon Lull and was appointed to the chair of Scotistic Theology. The prestige he enjoyed in academic circles and the popular acclaim accorded him as a preacher augured an illustrious ecclesiastical career in his native Spain.

In 1749, the brilliant professor doffed his doctoral robes to volunteer for the New World, affirming the office of Apostolic Missionary to embody the highest vocation to which he could aspire. Enthusiastically, he adopted as his realistic motto:

“Always go forward – Never turn back!”

Upon disembarking at Vera Cruz, he set out on foot in pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was on that journey to the Queen of the Americas that his leg was injured and became a constant burden, but never a hindrance, for the ensuing thirty-five years of his life.

Serra’s first missionary assignment was to the mountainous region of the Sierra Gorda above Queretaro where he labored among the Pame Indians between 1750 and 1758. During the subsequent nine years he crisscrossed central Mexico preaching missions to the faithful. His residence was the College of San Fernando in Mexico City, where he was engaged in varied administrative responsibilities.

The initial call to California came in 1768, when he was entrusted with the presidency of the thirteen missions in Baja or Lower California. The following year, Spain authorized the colonizing of the area of the present Golden State and Father Serra was appointed Padre Presidente. During the fifteen years he held that office, he founded the first nine of the twenty-one missions, wherein nigh unto 6,000 Indians were baptized, most of whom Serra personally brought to supernatural maturity in the Sacrament of Confirmation. He died August 28, 1784, at his beloved Mission San Carlos Borromeo, Carmel, where his grave continues a focal point of pious pilgrimage and veneration.

California regards Padre Junipero Serra her first citizen and greatest pioneer, selecting him to stand in Statuary Hall, at the National Capitol in Washington, D. C. and placing a grandiose monument of him on the grounds of her State Capitol, as well as dedicating to him one of her state office buildings in Los Angeles. The Apostle of California is the first priest for whom the United States government has authorized a National Medal, which was struck by the Philadelphia Mint in bronze and silver, in gold and platinum, during 1964. The Mallorcan Friar has been honored by postage stamps in Spain, Mexico and Portugal. In 1984, the bicentennial of his saintly demise, the governments of Spain and the United States collaborated in issuing International Air Mail stamps.

Competent scholars recognize Saint Junipero Serra a zealous missionary, a prudent administrator, a fearless defender of the human rights of his Indian charges. Above all, Padre Junipero Serra has been revered universally for some two centuries as a saintly Franciscan Friar. The efforts to bring him ecclesiastical recognition climaxed on September 23, 2015, when his Holiness, Pope Francis canonized him, presenting him to the world and proclaiming anew as Pope John Paul II did at Carmel in 1987, that “the way in which (Serra) fulfilled that mission corresponds faithfully to the Church’s vision today of what evangelization means.”

KB: There is a basilica next door to Mission Dolores.

This is the basilica of Mission Dolores. Services are held here regularly. It is actually the second church built on this site. Construction began in 1911, shortly after an earlier brick structure had been destroyed by the great San Francisco earthquake. The church was completed in 1918. The artwork in the basilica reflects the site’s mission heritage. Look toward the back of the church. The beautiful stain glass high on the back wall pictures Saint Francis of Assisi, patron of both the mission and the city of San Francisco. The bright oranges are repeated in the upper windows and the side walls. Now look at the lower windows. These windows feature images of the twenty-one Alta California missions (there are 32 Missions in Baja California). They also honor Father Serra the president of the mission system and Father Palou the founder of Mission San Francisco de Asis.

Now in the front of the church toward the sanctuary, as one looks at the ceiling high above the main altar, set against a sunburst pattern, you will see a small figure of mater dolorosa or our lady of sorrows. Look closely and you will see that she is holding seven small crosses. These signify the seven sorrows suffered by Jesus’ mother during her life. Now look at the balconies on either side of the church. Six of Mary’s sorrows are depicted in the painted wood carvings on the front of these balconies. The seventh sorrow is depicted in a similar caving over the main entrance door.
A basilica is an honorary church of the pope.

KB: How did the mission get the nickname Dolores?

The mission is called Dolores after a stream that once flowed about a block from where the Mission stands today. The first Spanish explorers came upon this stream on the feast day of Nuestra Senora de los Dolores, Our Lady of Sorrows. They named the stream for the day of their arrival and the name soon became associated with the nearby mission. In the mid-1800’s the church officially gave the name Mission Dolores to the parish.

KB: What is the current status of the mission?

Within the Mission church and in its cemetery are the remains and headstones of many San Francisco and California historic figures, including nearly 6,000 Mission Indians who built the entire Mission complex. Major civic and cultural events in early San Francisco took place at the Mission; in fact, San Francisco’s annual birthday celebration begins with Mass at what is now affectionately known as “the Old Mission.”

Inside the Mission church one feels a reverence and a quiet encouragement for reflection and a coming to faith. For people of all faiths, for San Francisco native, especially Mission Indian descendant, newcomer, or international visitors, Mission Dolores is a very special place.

For religious, cultural, and historical reasons, the Mission and its art and artifacts have been safeguarded by each generation. The Mission survived the 1906 earthquake, although the larger church next to it, built to accommodate the growing Catholic population, did not.

Repairs, including the installation of a steel framework in the attic and in the adobe walls, deferred by World War I until 1918, helped the Mission weather the 1989 quake. The 1989 quake did, however, point up the need to take various corrective measures and make improvements that involved significant restoration and preservation. Beginning in 1990 and completed in 1995, the “Old Mission Restoration Project” undertook a project that helped to preserve Mission Dolores, as well as restore and conserve its historical and religious art and artifacts.

Although the Mission, its art, artifacts, and cemetery are in reasonably good condition due to the “Old Mission Restoration Project” completed in 1995 and considering that most of what has been passed down to us is over 200 years old, studies have documented weaknesses and decay that require immediate attention.

Mission Dolores is not only the oldest Roman Catholic Church building in continuous use in the modern State of California, but it is also a school and a tourist site visited by more than 200,000 people each year; this number includes some 20,000 California school children learning about our history, as well as local and international visitors. We are proud to be part of California’s history since 1776. We are also conscious of our duty to preserve this heritage for future generations. As a working-class urban parish our own resources are very limited. Any assistance you can provide to save and enhance this unique place would be deeply appreciated, not only by us, but by all Californians.

KB: Has the mission appeared in movies and series?

Mission Dolores was used as the location of Carlotta Valdes’s grave in Hitchcock’s Vertigo. The gravestone inscription reads:

CARLOTTA VALDES
Born: December 3, 1831
Died: March 5, 1857

Location filming took place on September 30th and October 1st, 1957, and were the first scenes of Vertigo to be shot with the principal cast members. The large, whitewashed walls of the building create an unusual soft light within the cemetery and that contributed to the dreamlike atmosphere of the scenes in the film.

Unusually, the film crew failed to remove Carlotta’s gravestone after filming was completed and it became a popular tourist attraction until staff at the Mission decided the fake stone wasn’t in keeping with the nature of the cemetery.

KB: Describe for the RSR readers what they would see on a visit to the mission.

Mission Dolores is the birthplace of modern San Francisco and the oldest intact mission church in California. The beautiful building you see before you, is essentially the same structure that the Franciscan missionaries envisioned, and the Indians built more than two centuries ago. Though small in comparison to modern churches, the mission looms large in the history of California.

Turn around and face the doorway where you entered. To the left of the doorway, you’ll see three ropes hanging from the ceiling. These ropes are attached to the mission’s three original bells, which can still be seen from the street hanging over the main doors. These bells were made in Mexico especially for Mission Dolores in the 1790’s. (Cut to footage of the actual Mission Bells.)
Now look to the right of the doorway. You’ll see a tall cabinet set into the wall. Step up to take a closer look. This is the mission’s original confessional. Inside is an adobe step. To hear confessions, the fathers would open the doors and sit on this step. Parishioners would stand on the other side of the open doors and speak through the window.

Now look at the painting on the wall to the right of the confessional. Walk up the center aisle if you’d like to get a better look at it. This painting dates from the late 1700’s. It shows Mary sitting in a boat. She’s presenting the baby Jesus to the new world. If possible, step in between the pews to get a closer look. In the bottom left-hand corner, you’ll see a man in a red coat and powder wig. This is Bucarelli, the Spanish viceroy in the Americas. Bucarelli was a strong supporter of the missions. Look closely and you can see words coming out of Bucarelli’s mouth. They translate as, “Pray for us.” On the right side is another image of Bucarelli. This time he is in a trance. A mirror image of the same words is entering his mouth. Look back at the figure of Mary. Behind and above her ships are being smashed against the rocks. Below these storm-tossed waters, ships under her protection lie in safe water.

Now let’s move on. Continue down the center aisle to the sanctuary. That’s the fenced off area at the front of the mission. The story of Mission Dolores begins in 1776 when an expedition of Spanish soldiers and Franciscan missionaries arrived on this site. The party had made the long difficult journey from Mexico on foot and horseback. They had come to establish a new mission and take possession of this recently discovered harbor. On June 29, 1776, five days before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the explorers celebrated the first mass on the shore of a small lake near here

You should now be standing at the front of the mission facing the sanctuary. In front of you, you’ll see an ornate wooden structure decorated in gold leaf. This is the main altar or Reredos. It is the oldest and most beautiful Reredos in the entire mission chain. It was built in San Blass Mexico, specifically for Mission Dolores and brought to the mission in pieces in 1796. This magnificent structure was a powerful tool for conveying the grandeur of the Franciscan’s faith to the Indians. In the center of the Reredos is the tabernacle, which shows Jesus on the cross. Directly above the tabernacle is a magnificent statue of the Archangel Michael. In the Bible it was Michael who led the angels in casting Satan out of heaven. At the top left, the figure wearing a blue robe and red cape is San Joaquin, the father of Mary. At the top on the right is Santa Clara de Asis, the founder of the poor Clair sisters and a contemporary of Saint Francis. On the lower right below Clara is Ana, Mary’s mother. Both Joaquin and Ana look upward towards heaven waiting for the messiah. The woman on the lower left with folded hands and a crown is Mary as the Immaculate Conception. Look at the top row of statues again. On the other side of this row, you can see smaller statues of Saint Francis. On the left he is shown in ecstasy. On the right he has an ashen face, meditating on Jesus’ cross. Look closely and you can see the wounds on his hands. These are the stigmata the wounds Jesus suffered on the cross. It is said that the same wounds appeared on Saint Francis during his life.

Throughout the exploration of Alta California, Viceroy Bucarreli had reserved the name of the founder of the Franciscan order for a site worthy of the honor. When he heard reports about this beautiful location overlooking a large safe harbor, he made his choice. The mission would be called San Francisco de Asis.

Now turn around and look up at the ceiling. The brightly colored patterns reflect the artistry of the Ohlone, the main Indian tribe in the area when the Spanish arrived. The Ohlone built the mission and painted the ceiling with vegetable dies. The patterns are like those found in their beautiful basketry. The ceiling has been repainted many times, but the original Ohlone patterns and colors have been preserved.

Now look at the altars on either side of you. They were brought to the mission in 1810. Though the columns may look like marble both structures are carved entirely of wood. The statues on these two altars represent some of the most revered figures of the Franciscans order. Turn to the altar on your right. The figure in armor on the left is San Juan Capistrano. He was a great church reformer and led an army that defeated the Moslems at Belgrade. The figure in the middle is San Jose, the patron saint of the Spanish mission period. He carries the lily of sainthood and holds the child Jesus. On the right is San Buena Ventura, an early leader of the Franciscans. He was instrumental in restoring the true spirit of poverty to the Franciscan. Buena Ventura wears the red robe of a cardinal and carries the order’s rule book. Now turn around and face the Altar on the opposite wall. The figures on this wall wear the habits of the Franciscan order. The statue on the right with the long cross is San Francisco Solano. In the center is San Antonio de Padua. His sermons are said to be so powerful that they could bring the words of the bible alive. The artist represented this by showing the Christ child emerging from his bible. And on the left is San Pascual Vilon. Take a closer look at the statue. Notice the artist’s incredible skill. The details in his face and the lifelike folds in his garment are amazing. You can even see the veins in his hands. Such details make this one of the finest statues in the mission.

Now look down at the floor in front of the altar. Here you will see the grave of Lieutenant of Don Jose Joaquin Moraga. Moraga along with Father Francisco Palau led the original group of settlers on the last leg of their trip from Mexico. After helping Father Palau begin construction of the temporary mission, Moraga and his soldiers moved several miles northward to build a presidio, the fort that still guards the narrow entrance to San Francisco Bay today.

Now start walking toward the back of the mission. On your left you will see a large painting under a window. Step between the pews to get a closer look at it. This painting is very unusual. It shows Saint Joseph holding the baby Jesus. Joseph was the patron saint of the mission during the Spanish era. He floats in the air. Angels support his feet and robes. A dove symbolizing the Holy Spirit hovers above him at the very top of the painting. Look closely at the figure of Jesus. He holds a globe. Joseph is presenting Jesus to the new world. At the bottom of the painting, you will see several figures. The figure on the left with the red cap and robe is Pops Pius VI. A Franciscan missionary stands behind him. On the right stands the Spanish King at the time, King Carlos IV. Behind him is viceroy Bucarelli, the great supporter of the California missions.

Now let’s move on. Continue toward the large baptismal font on your right. It is surrounded by a railing. This font was installed in 1995; it is modeled on the stone font found in the church of St. Peter’s in Petra, Majorca, in which Junipero Serra was baptized on the very day he was born in November 1713. Today, Parish baptisms are still celebrated at this font.

Now turn and look at the wall across from the baptismal font. The large structure mounted on the wall is an altar frontal piece. You can see that it is made up of several segments. Every year during the season of Lent leading up to Easter these pieces were assembled in front of the Reredos. If you look back at the Reredos you can see that the frontal piece would cover everything but the tabernacle. The frontal piece tells the story of both the Old and New Testament.

Now let’s move on. Our next stop is at the back of the church. Walk toward the rows of small pews on the left. On the floor you will see a white marble grave marker. This marks the burial site of Jose de Jesus Noe and some of his children. The Noe family operated a huge ranch of more than forty-five hundred acres near the mission during the Mexican era. Burial within the mission was an honor reserved for those who were held in the highest esteem. The Noe name is still seen on San Francisco maps today.

Now continue towards the back of the church. Look for the next grave marker on the floor. It is near the circular staircase. William Alexander Leidesdorff was a convert to the Catholic faith. He was born in the West Indies to an African mother and a Danish father. He arrived in San Francisco in 1841 as the captain of his own trading ship and decided to stay. Leidesdorff soon became one of the young city’s most prosperous merchants. He believed passionately in the town’s future. Along with being a successful businessman, Leidesdorff helped establish San Francisco’s first public school. He also acquired a land grant in the Sierra foothills as a refuge for escaped slaves, who had fled to California from the United States.

On the wall next to the Leidesdorff grave, you’ll see a small niche. Walk over and look inside. This is a holy water font. The decorative plate in the bottom of the font was placed there during the mission’s original construction. It was brought from the Philippines aboard a Spanish galleon. By the late 1700’s trade galleons sailed regularly between Manila, San Francisco and Lima Peru.
You should be standing by the Leidesdorff grade at the back of the church. Just in front of the small pews you will see a door with a tour sign above it. Go through this door now. Walk down the ramp and stop at the diorama on your right.

This diorama was created for the 1939 World’s Fair which was held on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. It shows just what this neighborhood looked like just after the mission’s completion. Things have changed a lot in the last two hundred years. Notice the extent of the mission complex. The church itself is on the left. The building that runs across the front is the convent where the Franciscans and their guests stayed. The long building on the right is the granary. In the back are the shops and servants’ quarters. The buildings to the far-right house the soldiers and civilians based at the mission. It took the Franciscans fourteen years to build the mission complex. In the meantime, they used a series of small temporary churches. But from the day of their arrival, they had always planned the construction of a major church. As part of their training the padres studied architecture to help them plan and build such impressive structures. You can see the mission bells on the front wall of the old church. The Franciscans built this front wall ten feet thick. They then carved the architectural details into the wall creating the appearance of niches and massive columns. Look to the left across the stream. These rounded huts are the traditional homes of the Ohlone. The Indians did all the manual labor at the mission and tended its sheep and cattle. These herds were essential for both their meat and hides.

Look at the tall mountain in the back of the diorama. This mountain remains a San Francisco landmark even today. It is called Twin Peaks.

KB: Why should people visit the mission?

Mission Dolores is still an active parish of the Roman Catholic faith. Its mission is the same today as it was in 1776: to establish a community of faith and love. Every year thousands of visitors from all over the world come to visit the old mission and walk about the peaceful cemetery. The mission church looks very much today as it did when it was dedicated in 1791. Over 20,000 students visit us and are led on guided tours.

HISTORY

Padre Francisco Palou, a Franciscan friar and Lieutenant Jose Joaquin Moraga, a Mexican soldier, led approximately 200 colonists from Sonora, Mexico to this area on June 27, 1776. They came to the vicinity of what is now Albion and Camp Streets in San Francisco. They found a small stream or river which they named “Arroyo de Nuestra Senora de Los Dolores (River of Our Lady of Sorrows)”. Two days later June 29, 1776, Padre Palou celebrated the first Mass under an improvised tent along Lake Dolores. The birthday of San Francisco is now celebrated every year on June 29th. Mission Dolores was established under the direction of Padre Junipero Serra and is the sixth of the 21 Franciscan missions in Alta California.

PURPOSE

The 21 Alta California missions established along EI Camino Real (The King’s Highway) were sponsored by the Spanish Empire for three purposes: 1) to be centers of worship and evangelization; 2) to be centers of new communities; and 3) to be centers of education and training. While Spain claimed the huge expanse of Alta California as part of its empire, it was concerned that other powers, such as England or Russia, might establish colonies of their own and take control of the entire region. The missions were intended to bring Alta California into the Spanish Empire by introducing Spanish law and government, establishing colonies and towns and bringing native peoples into both the Spanish Empire and the Roman Catholic faith. The goal of the Franciscans was to establish Christian communities where the newly converted natives (coiled neophytes) could grow in their new faith, learn new technologies and become part of the Spanish Empire. The Franciscans introduced reading and writing, new techniques of farming and construction, weaving, metal working and many other things previously unknown to the first Peoples. Padre Junipero Serra, before coming to this part of the World, had been a professor of philosophy and theology at the University of Palma in Mallorca, Spain. His vision of the missions was based on the philosophy of John Duns Scotus who taught that God is love and that this love is discovered in relationship with our fellow human beings. The form of the relationship was to be self-supporting agricultural and ranching communities.

THE FIRST PEOPLES

The primary tribal groups in this area were the OhIone (or Yelamu), Patwin, Miwok and Wappo. The area that we now know as San Francisco was very sparsely populated and historians think the native population before the establishment of the mission was between 150 and 300 people. Near where the mission stands today was the Village of Chutchui. The site for Mission Dolores was chosen because it was close to this Ohlone village and near fresh water and the San Francisco Bay. The native peoples utilized stone tool technology and lived by hunting, fishing and gathering nuts and seeds. The Franciscan padres sought to organize the native peoples into Christian communities. The natives were often defended by the padres from the foreigners. Sadly, the lands held by the Franciscans for the native peoples were largely taken away when the Franciscan missions were secularized in 1835. Although the First Peoples no longer live at the Mission, their descendants still live among us in the greater San Francisco Bay Region.

MISSION DOLORES DURING THE SPANISH ERA

The original mission complex was typical of Spanish era missions with a church, friary (where the padres lived), schools, workshops and storerooms laid out in a square, often with a fountain in the center. Approximately 1,000 native persons lived at the mission at any one time. The mission farms grew wheat, barley, corn, lentils, beans and peas. In the workshops native people operated up to 20 looms for weaving cloth and artisans created pottery, tile, leather goods and ironwork. The ranch had up to 11,000 head each of cattle and sheep and a thousand horses, in addition to many goats and mules. The land did not belong to either the mission or the government but was considered the property of the native community. During this period most of the Christians worshiping at Mission Dolores were Native Americans. From 1777 until 1845, approximately 7200 people were baptized, of whom only 500 were Mexican and of 2156 marriages performed, only about 80 were of Mexicans and Europeans.

Check out the Mission’s website: HERE

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