Title supplied by cataloger. 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". Father Cruzado gave the building its strong Moorish architectural influence, with capped buttresses and tall, narrow windows, which are unique among the missions of the California chain. 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. Mission San Gabriel Arcangel serves as a great backdrop for this Mount Lowe Railway Pleasure Coach, known as the Tally-Ho. The "baker's dozen" group pictured here consisted of all female passengers, and a male driver. The Mount Lowe Railway Tally-Ho Line brought passengers from Los Angeles to Altadena via some of the San Gabriel Valley's most scenic attractions. Cost for the three-hour trip was $3.00 from Los Angeles to the Altadena Junction, followed by an electric trolley excursion to Rubio Canyon, and then a ride up the Mount Lowe Railway. The six-bell campanario (or bell tower) is visible in the background.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;21 x 26 cm. Photographic prints
Mission San Gabriel Arcangel (San Gabriel, Calif.) Horse-drawn vehicles--California--San Gabriel Missions, Spanish--California--San Gabriel Church buildings--California--San Gabriel Bells--California--San Gabriel Cruzado, Antonio San Gabriel (Calif.)
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.