Old Mission San Buenaventura

Known as the ‘Mission by the Sea,’ this church once belonged to Spain’s extensive network of missions throughout the modern-day US Southwest. It was founded in 1782 by Franciscan friars whose objective was the evangelization of the native peoples in the region, who were the Chumash. The church complex, which included aqueducts, was built with their labor. Under the church’s supervision, indigenous groups lived, worshiped, and worked on the premises. One of the main labors of the mission was the maintenance of its orchards. The structures have suffered from natural disasters over the years, ranging from fires to earthquakes. After each incidence of damage, even into the twentieth century, the church was renovated. This source is part of the Historic Churches in the Southwestern US Source Collection.