E N C Y C L O P E D I A

Mission Santa Ines

Mission Santa Inés was founded on September 17, 1804 by Father Estevan Tapis, who had succeeded Father Fermin Lasuen as President of the California mission chain. It was the nineteenth mission founded, and is named for St. Agnes. It is located in Solvang, California in Santa Barbara County. It was a midway point between Mission Santa Barbara and Mission La Purisima Concepcion, and was designed to relieve overcrowding at those two missions.

On February 21, 1824, a soldier beat a young Indian and sparked a revolt. Some of the Indians went to get the Indians from Missions Santa Barbara and La Purisima to help in the fight. When the fighting was over, the Indians themselves put out the fire that had started at the mission. Many of the Indians left to join the Tulare Indian Tribe in the mountains. Only a few Indians remained at the mission.

Major restoration was not begun until 1947, when the Hearst Foundation donated money to pay the for project. The restoration continues to this day. Today the mission is an active parish. There is a museum, gift shop and information for visitors available at the mission. The Danish town of Solvang was built up around the Mission Santa Inés in the early 1900s. The restoration continues and the Capuchin Franciscan Fathers take excellent care of the mission today.