Mission Santa Clara de Asís facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mission Santa Clara

Mission Santa Clara de Asís, shown in 2008
Location in San Jose, California
Location	Palm Drive and Alviso Street intersection, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California
Coordinates	37°20′57″N 121°56′29″W / 37.3493°N 121.9415°W / 37.3493; -121.9415
English translation	The Mission of Saint Clare of Assisi
Founding date	January 12, 1777
Baptisms	8,536
Marriages	2,498
Burials	6,809
Neophyte population	1,125
Secularized	1836
Governing body	Santa Clara University; Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose
California Historical Landmark
Reference no.	#338

Mission Santa Clara de Asís is an important Spanish mission located in modern Santa Clara, California. Founded on January 12, 1777, it was the eighth mission created by Spanish Franciscans in California. The mission honors Saint Clare of Assisi, a religious leader who founded the Poor Clares. She was also an early follower of Saint Francis of Assisi. This building holds special historical value because it was the very first California mission named after a woman.

The mission gave its name to both the surrounding city and to Santa Clara County. It also shares its name and grounds with Santa Clara University. Today, this church is the only historic mission standing directly on an active college campus. Even though harsh disasters damaged the buildings over time, people rebuilt the church six different times. The settlement was never permanently abandoned. It now serves as a lively student chapel and historic site.

The Early History and Founding of Mission Santa Clara

Painting of Mission Santa Clara in 1849.

The original mission community was founded on January 12, 1777, along the banks of the Guadalupe River. The first site was known as La Misión Santa Clara de Thamien, named after the local Tamyen residents. It sat right beside an ancient village called So-co-is-u-ka, which translates to "Laurelwood". Spanish friars, led by Father Tomás de la Peña and Father Presidente Junípero Serra, set up a cross to spread their faith. They worked to teach agriculture, religion, and trades to the local Ohlone people.

Life changed drastically for local Native Americans when the mission arrived. Members of the Bay Miwok and Yokuts groups also came to live and work at the settlement. Native people attended church services and received food, tools, and woven cloth from the mission storehouses. However, early buildings faced natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, and fires. Flooding along the river soon forced the priests to pack up and build on higher ground.

The mission relocated several times across the valley over several decades. The second mission site was constructed slightly away from the rising river waters. A third site was used between 1784 and 1819 near modern tracks used by Caltrain. Archaeologists later discovered historical items and resting places near these old locations. The current spot represents the final permanent home established in the territory of Alta California back in 1825.

Why Six Different Churches Were Built Over Time

Natural disasters repeatedly challenged the mission builders. Earthquakes shook down thick walls, while rushing waters cracked mud foundations. Each rebuild showed how creative and persistent people had to be when working with natural resources.

The earliest structures relied heavily on simple wooden posts and mud plaster. Builders used thatched roofs made from river tules, which were common marsh reeds. When stronger materials were needed, workers learned to make sun-dried adobe bricks. Sun-dried bricks worked well in dry weather but could wash away during wet seasons.

The third building, known historically as the Murguia church, had its foundation stone laid on November 19, 1781. Junípero Serra visited this site and dedicated the finished church on May 16, 1784. Visitors considered it one of the largest and most beautiful buildings in the region. Sadly, strong earthquakes shook the church in 1812 and 1818, causing deep cracks. Builders took clay roof tiles from the broken building to use on the fourth and fifth versions.

Daily Life, Farming, and Connecting Towns

Mission Santa Clara de Asís, around 1910.

The mission operated like a busy agricultural town. In the early days, friction arose between the mission and settlers from nearby Pueblo de San José. Both groups needed water from local streams and fertile pastures for grazing livestock. To build friendship, native workers planted trees and built a wide connecting roadway named the Alameda. This tree-lined boulevard made traveling between the two settlements smooth and pleasant.

Settlers from San José traveled to Santa Clara every weekend for church. This tradition continued until St. Joseph's Church opened in San José in 1803. By that time, Santa Clara was home to 1,271 indigenous people. Mission records from that year show a huge farming operation. The mission cared for 10,000 cattle, 9,500 sheep, 730 horses, 35 mules, and 55 pigs. Fields yielded thousands of bushels of wheat, barley, and corn.

Native families possessed rich cultures and relied on hunting and gathering before Europeans arrived. Native herbalists knew how to use over 265 different wild plants for remedies and healthy foods. Spanish ranching cattle quickly consumed these essential native plants and roots. Because their normal food supply disappeared, Native Americans had to adapt to mission farming routines.

Major Changes During the Mexican Era

View toward the altar of the ornate mission chapel, around 1897.

When Mexico won independence from Spain, the new government created the Mexican secularization act of 1833. This law took control away from the Franciscan friars. Government officials divided the huge mission properties, selling lots to private citizens and ranch owners. Although the law stated that half of the land belonged to the native community, many natives received very little.

Some Native Americans relocated eastward toward the great Central Valley to begin fresh lives. Others stayed nearby and found work caring for cattle on private ranchos. Some groups received small land grants, such as the village site of Ulistac, where native families grew their own crops. Unlike many other California missions that fell into complete ruin, Santa Clara stayed in use as a local church.

Becoming a Modern University Campus

California became an official American state in 1850. The next year, Roman Catholic leaders transferred the mission to the Jesuit order. A priest named Father John Nobili took charge in 1851. Father Nobili founded Santa Clara College inside the old adobe rooms. This became the very first college founded in California, making the campus unique.

The mission church retains historical treasures from its early days. King Charles III of Spain donated bells to the mission in 1777 with a special royal request. He asked that church workers ring the bells every evening at 8:30 to remember past generations. This ringing tradition continues today through faithful recordings. One bell given by King Alphonso XIII is protected inside the campus De Saisset Museum.

Renovations changed the mission church as the town grew. Workers built a wooden front with tall twin bell towers in 1861. In 1885, builders widened the main room so more university students could attend mass. A massive fire destroyed the fifth church in 1926. Architects immediately designed a sixth church using solid concrete and historic patterns. Dedicated in 1929, this church serves as the active university chapel. Regular neighborhood church services moved down the street to Saint Clare Parish.

Discoveries at the Santa Clara Mission Cemetery

The original mission cemetery began operating alongside the church in 1777. As Santa Clara College expanded during the 1850s, the old cemetery became crowded. Priests moved the main burial grounds a short walk away near the historic home of Fernando Berryessa. Today, visitors can still visit this peaceful and historic property.

The modern cemetery features an indoor mausoleum constructed in the 1930s to save space. In 2015, workers expanded the facility by opening the outdoor St. Ignatius complex. Many prominent leaders from early California history rest here, alongside early native families.

Archaeological Insights into Native Life

Archaeologists study older mission cemetery sites to understand daily life during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The records show that members of the Ohlone, Yokuts, and Miwok nations lived and worked together here. Traditional customs often blended with mission practices.

Excavators found thousands of delicate beads placed carefully in early graves. These included traditional California shell beads along with colorful imported glass beads. European traders carried glass beads across the oceans from famous workshops in Bohemia and Venice.

These tiny artifacts demonstrate how much indigenous people valued beautiful decorations and honored their ancestors. More than 2,000 historic beads have been cataloged at the site, showing connections between Native Americans and global traders.

Notable People Buried in the Cemetery

• Peter Hardeman Burnett (1807–1895), a judge who served as the first elected governor of California.
• Marv Owen (1906–1991), a Major League baseball player for the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and Boston Red Sox.
• Bernard D. Murphy (1841–1911), a California banker, businessman, and state politician.
• Daniel Martin Murphy (1826–1882), an early pioneer and successful rancher in northern California.
• Martin Murphy Jr. (1807–1884), an Irish-born pioneer and farmer who helped found Sunnyvale, California.
• Martin Murphy Sr. (1785–1865), an early California settler and the founder of San Martin, California.
• Patrick W. Murphy (1837–1901), a California landowner and state politician.
• Cardinal Ignatius Kung Pin-Mei (1901–2000), a courageous leader who served as the Catholic Bishop of Shanghai.
• Elizabeth Murphy Taaffe (1844–1875), an early pioneer rancher who helped develop the area of Los Altos Hills.
• Archbishop Dominic Tang (1908–1995), a Chinese member of the Society of Jesus who became the archbishop of Canton.
• Tiburcio Vásquez (1835–1875), an infamous early Californio folk figure known across the state.

See also

In Spanish: Misión Santa Clara de Asís para niños

• Spanish missions in California
• List of Spanish missions in California
• USNS Mission Santa Clara (AO-132) – a ship named after the mission from World War II.