Mission Santa Ines
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Santa_Ines_circa_1900_Keystone-Mast.jpg
Mission Santa Inés was founded on September 17, 1804 by Father Estévan Tapís, who had succeeded Father Fermín Francisco de Lasuén as President of the California mission chain. It was the nineteenth mission founded, and is named for Saint Agnes. The Mission is located in Solvang, California in Santa Barbara County. It was a midway point between Mission Santa Bárbara and Mission La Purísima Concepción, and was designed to relieve overcrowding at those two missions and to serve the Indians living east of the Coast Range.
On February 21, 1824, a soldier beat a young Chumash Indian and sparked a revolt. Some of the Indians went to get the Indians from Missions Santa Bárbara and La Purísima 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 other tribes in the mountains; only a few Indians remained at the mission.
It was through the efforts of Father Alexander Buckler in 1904 that reconstruction of the Mission was undertaken, though major restoration was not possible 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.
Historic designations
- National Register of Historic Places #NPS-99000630
- California Historic Landmark #305
See also
External links
- Official mission website (http://www.missionsantaines.org/title.html/)
- Elevation & Site Layout sketches of the Mission proper (http://www.mymission.org/images/santinez.gif)
