A visit to the mission in Santa Cruz requires two stops at the top of Mission Hill. The first to the church finds a 1/3 size replica of the original mission which was destroyed in 1857 and the second to the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park where there are magnificent views from the gardens.
Santa Cruz, the 12th California Mission, was founded on the bluff in 1791 by President Father Fermin Francisco de Lasuén and founding missionaries Frs. Isídro Salazar and Balamero López. The Awaswas triblet of the Costanoans were the earliest of the neophytes. They were later joined by Yokuts and other Costanoans.
The church is still a Catholic church and is popular for local marriages
The State Historic park features the only original building left. The single story adobe which was built between 1822 and 1824 was originally about twice the size it is now. It provided housing for the neophytes.
When the mission system was secularized in 1834 the neophytes left, either abandoning the rooms or selling them to Californios.
Today the building is home to exhibits that tell the story of the early mission and it's residents through the years including the neophytes, the Californios and others. Be sure to pick up the self-guided tour brochure in the gift shop before starting.
California Mission State Historic Park
California Missions - Santa Cruz
Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks
Trail Posts: A Literary Exploration of California's State Parks Lorenzo Asisara remembers a story told him by his father in 1818 in Reminiscences.
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