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. Father Bernard O'Connor, CMF, rings bells at San Gabriel Mission on August 31, 1962, to open a fiesta, with the help of Queen Paulette Marshall and her court. Back, left to right: Mary Ellen Woerner, Jo Ann Bonfiglio, Margaret Woods, Clotilda Oseguera.
Mission San Gabriel Arcangel (San Gabriel, Calif.) Missions, Spanish--California--San Gabriel Festivals--California--San Gabriel National Historic Landmarks California Historical Landmarks San Gabriel (Calif.) Group portraits Portrait photographs Herald-Examiner Collection photographs
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