Mission Santa Cruz facts for kids
The Mission Santa Cruz chapel replica
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| Location | 130 Emmett St Santa Cruz, California 95060 |
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| Coordinates | 36°58′41″N 122°1′46″W / 36.97806°N 122.02944°W |
| Name as founded | La Misión de la Exaltación de la Santa Cruz |
| English translation | The Mission of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross |
| Patron | The Exaltation of the Cross |
| Nickname(s) | "The Hard-luck Mission" |
| Founding date | August 28, 1791 |
| Founding priest(s) | Father Fermín Francisco de Lasuén |
| Founding Order | Twelfth |
| Military district | Fourth |
| Native tribe(s) Spanish name(s) |
Awaswas, Mutsun, Yokuts Costeño |
| Native place name(s) | Aulintak |
| Baptisms | 2,765 |
| Marriages | 860 |
| Burials | 2,120 |
| Secularized | 1834 |
| Returned to the Church | 1859 |
| Governing body | California Department of Parks and Recreation; Diocese of Monterey |
| Current use | Santa Cruz Mission Adobe museum; Parish chapel |
| Reference no. | #75000484 |
| Reference no. | #342 |
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Mission Hill Area Historic District
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 Location in California
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| Location | Mission Street |
| Area | 38 acres (15 ha) |
| Architectural style | Spanish Colonial, Stick-Eastlake-Queen Anne—Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000530 |
| Added to NRHP | May 17, 1976 |
Mission Santa Cruz, also known as La Misión de la Exaltación de la Santa Cruz, was a Spanish mission built in 1791. It was founded by Franciscan priests in what is now Santa Cruz, California. This mission served as a church for the native people of California.
Today, the Holy Cross Church stands on the site of the original mission church. It was built in 1889 and is still an active church for the Diocese of Monterey. One original mission building, a dormitory for Yokuts and Ohlone Native American families, still exists. It has been restored and is now a museum. You can visit it as part of the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park.
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History of Mission Santa Cruz
Mission Santa Cruz officially opened on August 28, 1791. It was a smaller mission, located in the fourth military district. This meant it was protected by the Presidio of San Francisco. That first winter, the San Lorenzo River flooded due to heavy rains. The mission was damaged.
Over the next three years, the padres, which is what the Spanish priests were called, rebuilt the mission. They moved it to higher ground to avoid future floods.
In 1797, a town called Branciforte was started across the San Lorenzo River. The priests at Mission Santa Cruz did not like this town. They worried that the settlers would encourage people to leave the mission.
In 1818, the mission was emptied because of a warning about a coming pirate attack. The priests asked the people of Branciforte to protect the mission's valuable items. Later, when some items were missing, the priests accused the townspeople of taking them.
Mission Decline and Preservation Efforts
The front wall of the original mission, built in 1794, was destroyed by an earthquake in 1857. A new wooden church was built nearby in 1858. Then, in 1889, the current Gothic Revival-style Holy Cross Church was built. It stands over part of the original mission's church and cemetery.
During this time, workers moved the remains from the old cemetery. They were placed in a mass grave at Old Holy Cross Cemetery, a few miles east. Recently, local volunteers have worked to restore this old cemetery. They are also trying to identify the people buried there. A special memorial was dedicated in 2016.
In 1931, a woman named Gladys Sullivan Doyle offered to build a smaller copy of the original mission chapel. She paid for all the construction. Her only condition was that she could be buried inside. Her grave is in a small side room. This small replica chapel is mostly used for private services and daily Masses. A room next to it serves as a gift shop. In the garden behind the gift shop, you can see a stone fountain from the original mission.
Santa Cruz Mission Historic Park
The only original mission building that still stands is a dormitory. It was where Native American residents lived. This building, known as the Neary-Rodriguez Adobe, has been restored. It is now part of the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park. You can find it at 144 School Street and visit it during open hours.
Mission Santa Cruz is recognized as California Historical Landmark number 342. The Neary-Rodriguez Adobe was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Santa Cruz County, California in 1975. The wider Mission Hill Area became a United States Historic District in 1976.
The Lost Adobe Mystery
In 1978, stone foundations of an old adobe building were found. They were on the east side of Mission Hill in Santa Cruz. This area was called the "Lost Adobe" because very little is known about it.
Archaeologists found artifacts that suggest the building housed Yokuts and Ohlone families. These families lived at the mission in the 1820s and 1830s. The Lost Adobe collapsed sometime in the 1800s. No parts of it remain above ground today. This area is on private property, so visitors are not allowed.
Mission Hill Train Tunnel
Did you know there's a hidden railroad tunnel under Mission Santa Cruz? It's a single-track tunnel with gates. Years ago, train service connected Oakland to Santa Cruz. Trains used to go right down the middle of Pacific Avenue to the wharf.
In 1876, the South Pacific Coast Railroad built this tunnel. It helped reroute train traffic away from the busy downtown area. You can find the entrance at the end of Amat Street. The tunnel goes under the church's parking lot and Emmett Street. It then comes out at Chestnut Street. This is still an active rail line for the Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway. It connects Santa Cruz with Felton.
Interesting Facts About Mission Santa Cruz
- This mission was the 12th of the 21 California missions.
- It is the only mission not named after a person.
- The mission built on higher ground became known as the "Hard Luck Mission." This was because a disease spread, wiping out about half of its population.
- Many redwood trees from the area were used to build the mission structures.
- It is one of only four original adobe buildings left in Santa Cruz County.
- Weddings are held at both the Holy Cross Parish Church and the Mission Chapel.
- There is a small garden behind the mission. It has the original hand-carved baptismal font.
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