Mission San Gabriel Arcangel, also known as the San Gabriel Mission, is a former Roman Catholic mission and current historic landmark; it was the fourth of 21 California missions to be founded. The founding date was September 8, 1771, and Padres Pedro Benito Cambon and Angel Fernandes de la Somera were the founding priests. The mission was built from 1791 to 1805 out of cut stone, brick, and mortar, and is the oldest structure of its kind south of Monterey, Ca. It was designed by Father Antonio Cruzado, and is often referred to as the "Godmother of the Pueblo of Los Angeles". In the early mission era, it came to be known as the "Pride of the Missions" and became the wealthiest of all the early missions due to its large production of crops and trading of cattle hides and wine. On October 1, 1987 the Whittier Narrows Earthquake heavily damaged the mission, but it was fully restored between 1987 and 1993. Today, San Gabriel possesses perhaps the finest collection of mission relics in existence. It has a hammered copper baptismal font that was the gift of King Carlos III of Spain in 1771, and six priceless altar statues that were brought around the Horn from Spain in 1791. Mission San Gabriel Arcangel was added in 1971 as a National Historic Landmark, building #71000158. It is also a California Historical Landmark, No. 158. Two addresses are given for the mission: 428 South Mission Drive, and 537 West Mission Drive at Junipero Street. View 2: Two priests can be seen standing along the sidewalk next to Mission San Gabriel Arcangel in San Gabriel. An exterior staircase that leads to the choir loft is barely visible behind a large tree on the right, and a bell marker identifying El Camino Real is visible on the left. A sign on the marker reads: "El Camino Real - Mission San Gabriel Arcangel - Founded Sept. 6, 1771 - Mission San Juan Capistrano, 56 (arrow pointing right) - Los Angeles Plaza, 9 (arrow pointing left) - Auto Club of So. Cal.". The placing of these markers (bells) for Camino Real began in 1904.
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1 photographic print :b&w ;13 x 18 cm.on sheet 21 x 26 cm. Photographic prints
Mission San Gabriel Arcangel (San Gabriel, Calif.) Missions, Spanish--California--San Gabriel Church buildings--California--San Gabriel Staircases--California--San Gabriel Priests--California--San Gabriel Bells--California--San Gabriel Cruzado, Antonio El Camino Real (Calif.) San Gabriel (Calif.)
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