California Missions – San Juan Bautista
Founded: June 24, 1797 – The 15th of the California Missions
Special Designation: Mission of Music
Named For: St. John the Baptist
Also Called: La Misión del Glorioso Precursor de Jesu Cristo, Nuestro Señor San Juan Bautista (The Mission of the Glorious Precursor of Jesus Christ, Our Lord San Juan Bautista)
Mission Site: Located on the main plaza in the town that developed around the mission, some 90 miles southeast of San Francisco.
Mission Church: The present church was dedicated on June 23, 1812, and replaced the much smaller adobe chapel of 1797-98 built by Ygnacio Barrera, Second Carpenter of the frigate Concepción. In 1818 Anglo-American carpenter Felipe Santiago (Thomas Doak), the earlies American settler in California, painted (and very likely constructed) the main altar reredos after a design by Fr. Estevan Tapis.
Special Attraction: San Juan Bautista offers the best opportunity to see and appreciate the California of 160 years ago. There are some 30 historic buildings in the 12-block area surrounding the Spanish Plaza (the only original one remaining in the state) including the Mission’s original adobe manjerio (nunnery), since renamed Plaza Hall and the fomer cuartel (Soldier’s barracks) retrofitted by Angelo Zanetta in 1858 as the Plaza Hotel.
Current Status: Active Catholic church since 1797, now under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey. The existing adobe church has seen continuous use since 1812.
