Founded in 1787, the La Purísima Mission land holdings once covered nearly 300,000 acres. Bordered by the Santa Maria River in the North and the Gaviota coastline in the South, the land was home to the Chumash people and Spanish settlers. The mission was best known for its hides and blankets, and at its peak two-thousand inhabitants herded as many as 24,000 cattle and sheep.
In the 20th century, under direction of the National Park Service, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) pledged to restore the mission if enough land could be provided to convert it into a historic landmark. The Catholic Church and the Union Oil Company donated sufficient land for the CCC to proceed with the restoration. The nine buildings as well as many small structures and the original water system were fully restored with the mission's dedication occurring on December 7, 1941, the same day the United States entered World War II.
Tile kiln
Oven in Blacksmiths cottage
State Historic Park
Wikipedia - La Purisima Mission
Blacksmiths shop
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