Title supplied by cataloger. Founded by father Fermi´n Lasue´n on September 8, 1797 in Mission Hills, Mission San Fernando Rey de Espan~a (originally La Misio´n del Sen~or Fernando, Rey de Espan~a) is located on the former settlement of Encino Rancho. It was the seventeenth mission built in Alto California. It was built in a quadrangle, similar to other missions, in which the church makes up one corner. The Convento stands apart from the quadrangle; it took 13 years to construct and was completed in 1822. Most noted for its 21 Roman arches, it is the largest two-story adobe structure in California. Now, the second floor is used for storage. The mission, itself, was used for many things during the mid-to late 1800's; in 1822, the Convento building served as the padre's quarters as well as a guesthouse, offering temporary accommodations for missionaries as they traveled between the missions along the Camino Real; in 1845, Governor Pio Pico declared the mission buildings for sale, and in 1846 made Mission San Fernando Rey de Espana his headquarters; between 1857 and 1861, the Convento was used as a station for the Butterfield Stage Line, which ran between Los Angeles and San Francisco; it also served as a warehouse for the Porter Land and Water Company; and in 1896, the quadrangle was actually used as a hog farm. Finally in 1923, after nearly 30 years, San Fernando's church became a working church once again. Today, the beautiful "Long Building" contains a rich assortment of relics: the great wine press, the smoke room, a refectory, and a library housing a collection of 1,760 volumes, dating from the 1500s to the 1800s. The Convento Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 - Building #88002147. And in 1999, the entire Mission San Fernando Rey de Espan~a was added to the National Register of Historic Places as well - Building #71001076. It has also been dedicated as California Historic Landmark #157. The Convent Building was, and still is, the largest adobe structure in California and is also the largest original building in California's missions. It continues to serve as a parish church. Photograph shows the interior of an attic, or loft, showing rafters, an adobe floor, a couple of pictures hanging on the walls, as well as a few windows and an open door. This attic was possibly located inside the Convento Building, also known as the "Long Building". The Convento Building, a large two-story building measuring approximately 243 feet long and 50 feet wide, was built in stages between 1808 and 1822. It has a broad portico extending the whole length of the building, sometimes referred to as the colonnade, and has 21 Roman arches, making it the most recognized image of the Mission.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;20 x 25 cm. on board 20 x 25 cm. Photographic prints
San Fernando, Rey de Espan~a (Mission : San Fernando, Calif.) Missions, Spanish--California--Los Angeles Adobe churches--California--Los Angeles Attics Mission Hills (Los Angeles, Calif.)
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