Why is it that we are always excited to explore things far from home but ignore what is in our back yard?
It was time to visit the San Fernando mission. When my older sons were in 4th grade they were at a Jewish Day school, so maybe visiting a Catholic mission wasn’t ‘appropriate’ – even if it is integral to the history of California.
I can only guess that my youngest missed the visit because there was so much work to be from the damage of the Northridge earthquake. Notice the mission bell?
The bright turquoise paint might be new, but looks like this bell is original to the spot. I don’t know who the people are who erected it, I do know that it was cast by Mrs. A.S.C. Forbes, I have no idea what her first name was. Such was the tradition in the early 20th century to only use initials.
Another one stands right by the Church itself, I don’t think this one is original to the spot, but I may be wrong. Meanwhile, just look at how thick the adobe is.
School children visiting the mission. 
The bell tower here is not as impressive as Mission San Gabriel, each mission has wonderful individual characteristics of their own.
If I have learned anything from my forays into architecture it is this, a building needs massive support. When working with unbaked clay adobe, thickness is what holds up the structure.
All the missions had a lot of land. Unlike Mission San Gabriel, the buildings are spread out here with a lot of open space. To the left is the Convento, finished in 1822. The front faces the street with those twenty one Roman arches, this is the back view.
It is the only two story adobe building of it’s size still standing. Today it houses an extensive museum as well as the only intact wine cellar in any of the mission, it is underground, better for climate control.
See how thick the walls are! They have to support a second story. Of course the building went through massive renovations and earthquake support after 1994.
Walls and arches were pretty low, both the Spaniards and the natives were short people.
A section of the adobe wall was left un-repaired. They used a very thick coat of stucco to protect the adobe. Although this stucco isn’t fired, it is much less porous and does protect the adobe bricks from the elements. The roofs had fired tiles, the tile maker is in the museum.
These have been exposed to the elements for 20 years and are still in very good shape. Yay for California clay!
On a side building, out of the way, someone has affixed a modern tile.
The tour continues in the next post.
Leah