La Exaltación de la Santa Cruz Mission

Founded in 1791, the La Exaltación de la Santa Cruz Mission was a Spanish colonial church in Santa Cruz, California. The objective of this institution was the evangelization of the nearby indigenous communities. They included the following peoples: Ohlone, Costanoan, Miwok, and Yokuts. It was not occupied for long because of crimes committed in the settlement and attacks from the frustrated local populations. It remained the smallest mission in the area, in terms of population. Because of its turbulent history, the structure has undergone various renovations. The church in place today is a ⅓ scale of the original, built in 1932. This source is part of the Historic Churches in the Southwestern US Source Collection.