Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa facts for kids
Missión San Luis Obispo de Tolosa in 2011.
|
|
 Location in California
|
|
| Location | 728 Monterey St. San Luis Obispo, California 93401 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 35°16′50″N 120°39′52″W / 35.28056°N 120.66444°W |
| Name as founded | La Misión de San Luís Obispo de Tolosa |
| English translation | The Mission of Saint Louis Bishop of Toulouse |
| Patron | Saint Louis of Anjou, Bishop of Toulouse, France |
| Nickname(s) | "Prince of the Missions" "Mission in the Valley of Bears" "The Accidental Mission" |
| Founding date | September 1, 1772 |
| Founding priest(s) | Father Presidente Junípero Serra |
| Founding Order | Franciscan |
| Military district | Third |
| Native tribe(s) Spanish name(s) |
Chumash Obispeño |
| Native place name(s) | Tilhini |
| Baptisms | 2,644 |
| Marriages | 763 |
| Burials | 2,268 |
| Governing body | Diocese of Monterey |
| Current use | Parish Church / Museum |
| Reference no. | 325 |
| Website | |
| http://www.missionsanluisobispo.org | |
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa (Spanish: Misión San Luis Obispo de Tolosa) is a historic Spanish mission located in San Luis Obispo, California. Father Junípero Serra founded this mission on September 1, 1772. It was named after Saint Louis, Bishop of Toulouse, a respected figure in France.
This mission has a special design that makes it unique among the California missions. It has a combination of a bell tower and an entrance area called a vestibule that you won't find anywhere else. Most mission churches have a long, narrow main area, but San Luis Obispo Mission also has a second area of similar size next to the altar. This makes it the only L-shaped mission church in California.
Contents
Exploring Mission San Luis Obispo's History
The Mission's Beginning in 1772
In 1769, explorer Gaspar de Portolá traveled through California. He passed through the area where San Luis Obispo is today. A missionary named Juan Crespí, who kept a diary, wrote that the soldiers called this place "llano de los osos," meaning "plain of the bears." They saw many bears there!
Later, Father Junípero Serra remembered these stories when his mission in Monterey needed food. He sent a hunting group to the "valley of the bears." The hunt was very successful. This made Father Serra think about building a new mission in that rich area. He saw that San Luis Obispo had many natural resources, good weather, and the Chumash people living nearby.
Father Serra decided this was a perfect spot. He sent a team to begin construction. On September 1, 1772, they put up a cross near San Luis Obispo Creek and Father Serra held the first mass. He then left Father José Cavaller in charge of building the mission. The mission was named after Saint Louis, Bishop of Toulouse, a saint important to the Franciscan order.
The first buildings were simple palisades, which are fences made of strong wooden stakes. Native American tribes sometimes set these temporary buildings on fire as a way to show their disagreement with the new settlements. The mission builders then learned to use adobe (sun-dried bricks) and roof tiles, which were much stronger and safer.
Growing and Changing Over Time
Starting in 1794, Mission San Luis Obispo began a period of major construction. New buildings were added to house the local Native Americans. Many improvements were made, including storerooms, homes for single women, barracks for soldiers, and mills for grinding grain. The mission's main courtyard, called a quadrangle, was finished in 1819. A year later, two new mission bells arrived from Lima, Peru, marking the end of these big improvements for a while.
In 1830, Father Luis Gil y Taboada took over the mission, but he passed away three years later. The last Franciscan priest at the mission for many years was Father Ramon Abella, who died in 1842.
A New Era: Rancho Period and Statehood
Around 1834, the Spanish missions in California went through a big change. The government decided that the missions would no longer be managed by the Church. This period is called secularization. In 1845, Governor Pío Pico sold the San Luis Obispo Mission to Captain John Wilson.
During a conflict with Mexico in 1846, John C. Frémont and his group used the mission as a base. During this time, the mission buildings started to fall into disrepair. The remaining priests sometimes rented out rooms to help support the mission.
When California became part of the United States in 1850, the mission began another new chapter. The first California bishop, Joseph Alemany, asked the government to return some of the mission lands to the Church.
The Mission San Luís Obispo de Tolosa even served as the first courthouse and jail for San Luis Obispo County, California. In the 1880s, parts of the mission, like the front porch and bell tower, were removed after an earthquake weakened them. People tried to "modernize" the buildings by covering them with wooden boards and adding a new bell tower. These changes helped protect the structure but made it look very different.
However, in the 1930s, Father John Harnett led a big effort to restore the buildings. The goal was to bring them back to their original mission style. Today, the mission is a busy Catholic parish church in the heart of San Luis Obispo. It is part of the Diocese of Monterey.
.jpg)
Mission Plaza: A Community Gathering Place
In 1970, the area around the mission was recognized as a central part of the City of San Luis Obispo. This led to the creation of Mission Plaza. City leaders and students from Cal Poly worked together to design this public space. Construction began in 1969, and the plaza was officially opened in 1970.
A statue of Junípero Serra was placed on the grounds, facing the new Mission Plaza. Over time, there were many discussions about the statue of Junípero Serra and its place in the community. In 2020, the statue was moved into storage on the mission grounds as part of these community conversations.
The Mission Plaza is a popular spot for people to gather. It often hosts community events and serves as a place for public discussions in San Luis Obispo County.
Images for kids
-
A community gathering at the San Luis Obispo mission, California, on October 21, 2023.
See also
In Spanish: Misión San Luis Obispo de Tolosa para niños
- List of Spanish missions in California
- Mission San Luis Obispo – a ship built during World War II.
- City of San Luis Obispo Historic Resources
