The Mission
The buildings that face San Juan Bautista's
central plaza represent several periods of
California history. The mission, founded in
1797, is the oldest; it was located here by
Padre Fermin Francisco de Lasuen because
there were many Indians in the area, and
because it was about a day's walk from
either Mission Santa Clara or Mission San
Carlos Borromeo at Carmel. Excellent soil
and a good water supply, as well as timber,
rock and other building materials were
available nearby.
At one time some 1,200 Indians lived and
worked at this mission, and more than 4,300
Indians are buried in the old cemetery
beside the northeast wall of the mission
church, along with a number of Spanish
Californians. The church itself, the largest
of its kind in California, was started in
1803 and, despite damage from numerous
earthquakes, has been in continuous use
since July 1, 1812. The altar wall was
painted by Thomas Doak, a sailor who left
his ship and is said to have been the first
U.S. citizen to settle in Spanish
California.
Today part of the mission can be toured, and
historical artifacts and exhibits are on
display. The buildings still belong to the
Catholic Church and therefore are not,
strictly speaking, part of San Juan Bautista
State Historic Park. Small donations by
visitors are used to offset the cost of
keeping the mission open to the public.
San Juan de Castro
After 1834 the town of San Juan, close
beside the old mission, became known
temporarily as San Juan de Castro. Jose
Tiburcio Castro became the civil or secular
administrator of the mission and, acting in
accordance with the mission secularization
decree issued that year, he divided up the
mission property and auctioned it off to
friends, neighbors and relatives.
Castro House was built in 1840-41 at the
request of his son Jose Maria Castro, who
had become prefect of the northern district.
It was intended to serve as the judicial and
administrative-headquarters of a district
that included the entire northern half of
Alta California. However, Jose Maria Castro
was unable to spend much time there. After
1840, when he was cleared of charges of
treason arising from an 1836 military revolt
he led against Governor Juan Guttierrez, his
military responsibilities required him to
travel extensively.
In 1843, San Juan once again became the
rallying point for a military revolt, as
Castrol organized friends and family into
the force that overthrew and deported
Governor Micheltorena. Later, he became
commanding general of Mexican military
forces in California, preoccupied with the
threat of foreign invasion and with the many
other problems caused by the flood of
immigrants beginning to arrive in
California. |
