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Historical Notes

The San Fernando Valley was first entered by the Portola expedition in 1769, but no permanent settlement was established at that time. Spanish authorities later sought to expand the mission system to close long gaps along El Camino Real between San Gabriel and San Buenaventura.

In the late 1790s, Father Fermín Lasuén, who succeeded Father Junípero Serra as head of the California missions, approved the San Fernando Valley as the site for a new mission. The location offered good water, open land for farming and grazing, and a strategic stop along the inland route.

A brief note of historical context: like other California missions, Mission San Fernando operated within a colonial system that brought significant disruption to Indigenous life. Many Indigenous people were drawn or compelled into mission labor and religious instruction. The mission era brought lasting cultural loss and hardship alongside the physical development recorded in these images.

The land had been used by Francisco Reyes, the first mayor of the Los Angeles pueblo, who raised cattle there. Accounts differ on how formal his claim was, but he gave up use of the land when the mission was approved.

Mission San Fernando Rey de España was founded on September 8, 1797, and named for Saint Ferdinand III, King of Spain. On the day of its founding, records indicate that five Indigenous boys and five Indigenous girls were baptized. Francisco Reyes served as a patron of the dedication and as godfather to the first child baptized.

Historical Notes

This photograph shows the mission complex many decades after its founding, following years of earthquakes, neglect, and changing ownership. The image is often mistaken as an early mission era view, but it actually reflects the mission after secularization and decline.

The original mission buildings were constructed of adobe and expanded over time. Roof collapse, missing plaster, and altered structures visible here reflect damage from earthquakes and the lack of sustained maintenance during the mid-1800s.

The Mission Buildings and the Convento Long Building

This section focuses on the physical layout of Mission San Fernando Rey de España and the development of its principal structures. Particular attention is given to the convento, or “Long Building,” which became one of the most prominent and enduring features of the mission complex.

Historical Notes

Mission San Fernando Rey de España was the seventeenth mission established in Alta California. Like other missions, it was built around a quadrangle, with the church forming one side and living and working spaces arranged around a central courtyard.

The original church built in 1797 soon became too small. A second chapel was replaced by a larger third church completed in 1806. That structure was heavily damaged by the 1812 earthquake, leading to another rebuilding completed in 1818.

By the early 1800s, the mission supported a large Indigenous population. By 1804, mission records suggest that nearly one thousand Indigenous people lived and worked at San Fernando. They raised cattle and produced hides, tallow, leather goods, and cloth.

Because of its location near Los Angeles and along a major travel route, the mission became a frequent stop for travelers. The fathers continually extended the convento wing to provide lodging, giving rise to its nickname, the Long Building, one of the longest adobe structures in California.

The 1812 earthquake caused severe damage to Mission San Fernando, destroying much of the church and adjoining structures. Limited labor and resources delayed repairs, and several buildings were left in ruin for many years. Later earthquakes and long periods of neglect compounded the damage. Most surviving photographs show the mission decades after the initial destruction, documenting the long aftermath rather than the event itself.

By the early 1800s, Mission San Fernando was entering a period of gradual decline as political changes, labor shortages, and shifting land policies began to reshape its role in the San Fernando Valley.

Starting in the 1830s, California officials began confiscating mission lands, although they usually left the buildings under church control. From 1834 to 1836, many Indigenous people remained at the mission. Others looked for work in Los Angeles or joined relatives and friends who were still living freely in the nearby hills. In 1835, Father Ibarra left because he could not tolerate the secularization.

As mission authority weakened, the property increasingly functioned as rancho land, and the buildings slipped into long-term neglect. The photographs that follow (1873–1875) show the mission no longer as an active religious center, but as a solitary landmark in a wide, largely undeveloped San Fernando Valley.

The First Photographs of the San Fernando Valley 1873–1875

Photography arrived in the San Fernando Valley at a time when the land was still largely undeveloped. Early photographs from the 1870s show Mission San Fernando standing alone in a wide, open landscape, with few signs of settlement beyond the mission buildings. These images form the first visual record of the valley and present the mission as a geographic landmark rather than an active religious center.

Mission Life and the Mission Grounds 1880s

Although the mission buildings continued to deteriorate during the 1880s, daily life around the grounds did not disappear. Indigenous residents and local workers remained in the area, tending crops and living near the former mission structures. These photographs offer rare glimpses of people still connected to the mission landscape during a period of transition and neglect.

By the 1880s, much of Mission San Fernando lay in ruins. Roofs had collapsed, adobe walls crumbled, and entire structures were reduced to remnants. Photographs from this period document the mission’s physical decline just before organized preservation efforts began.

Preservation Sparks: Lummis and the Landmarks Club 1887–1903

As the mission continued to deteriorate, interest in preserving California’s historic landmarks began to grow. By the late 1880s, writers, historians, and preservation advocates called attention to the condition of Mission San Fernando. These early efforts helped spark the movement that eventually led to restoration and rebuilding.

Historical Notes

By the mid 1890s, Charles Fletcher Lummis emerged as a leading advocate for preserving California’s historic missions. In 1896, as president of the Landmarks Club of Southern California, Lummis began efforts to reclaim and protect Mission San Fernando.

Lummis warned that the mission buildings were rapidly deteriorating, with roofs breached or gone and adobe walls dissolving under winter rains. He argued that without immediate action, little would remain of the missions beyond scattered heaps of adobe.

Decades of neglect left much of Mission San Fernando in ruins, yet parts of the site continued to function as working spaces well into the late 1800s. While the church and many adjoining buildings deteriorated, the convento, cloister, and surrounding grounds remained active, shaped by travel, agriculture, and changing uses. Photographs from this period reveal a mission site that was both worn and lived in, standing between abandonment and preservation.

The Convento, Cloister, and Mission Grounds 1880s–1909

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the convento, cloister, and surrounding grounds remained the most active parts of Mission San Fernando. Photographs from this period show the mission as a working landscape, shaped as much by use and adaptation as by neglect. This section shifts attention away from collapse and toward how the mission functioned as a lived-in and adaptable space.

Historical Notes

By the mid-1800s, the mission grounds were no longer used for religious purposes, but parts of the site remained active. Traffic along the road in front of the convento reflects the mission’s continued role as a landmark and stopping place in the San Fernando Valley.

The convento building was constructed in stages between 1808 and 1822 and measures approximately 243 feet long and 50 feet wide. Its broad portico runs the full length of the building and features thick adobe walls, exposed rafters, and a roof of fired clay tile. The long portico, often referred to as the colonnade, includes twenty-one Roman arches and is one of the most recognizable features of the mission. The convento remains the largest original adobe structure in California and the largest surviving building among the California missions.

In 1842, gold was discovered on a nearby ranch, sparking a brief rush of prospectors. Rumors that missionaries had hidden gold beneath the church floors led treasure seekers to dig inside mission buildings. This activity continued sporadically into the early 1900s and contributed to further damage.

Historical Notes

After abandonment in 1847, mission buildings were adapted for various uses. Between 1857 and 1861, part of the site served as a stagecoach station. By the late 1800s, sections of the mission were used for storage, stables, and livestock.

In 1896, Charles Fletcher Lummis began efforts to reclaim and protect the mission property, marking the beginning of improved conditions and eventual restoration.

Late-1800s Views and the Road to Restoration 1880s–1909

By the late 1800s, Mission San Fernando existed in a transitional state. While many structures remained in disrepair, the site continued to function as farmland, landmark, gathering place, and historic curiosity. Photographs from this period document both decline and the earliest steps toward preservation. While earlier images emphasize physical ruin, the views that follow focus on continued use and the first stirrings of organized preservation.

Historical Notes

The Convento Building was, and remains, the largest adobe structure in California and the largest original building among California’s missions.

Historical Notes

California’s eighteenth-century Franciscan missionaries were among the first to plant palms ornamentally, likely for their biblical symbolism. Despite their early presence at missions, palms were not widely embraced as landscape features until Southern California’s turn-of-the-twentieth-century gardening boom.

Despite the many palm species seen in Los Angeles today, only one — Washingtonia filifera, the California fan palm — is indigenous to the state. All other palms commonly associated with Southern California landscapes were introduced from elsewhere and planted primarily for decorative purposes.

The Convento and Cloister as Daily Space (1890s)

During the 1890s, the convento and cloister functioned as the most usable and occupied areas of Mission San Fernando. While much of the mission complex lay in ruins, these covered corridors and adjacent spaces continued to serve daily needs related to travel, work, and social gathering. Photographs from this period show people using the mission not as a religious center, but as a lived-in and practical environment.

By the late 1800s, the convento and cloister remained the most functional parts of Mission San Fernando. Their covered corridors provided shelter, storage, and gathering space at a time when much of the mission complex was deteriorating. Traffic along the adjacent road and the presence of wagons, riders, and visitors reflect the mission’s continued role as a stopping place and local landmark rather than an active religious center.

By the end of the 19th century, much of Mission San Fernando’s church and auxiliary buildings stood roofless or partially collapsed. Interior views from this period reveal exposed beams, fallen plaster, and eroded adobe walls, while carefully framed doorways and arches continue to emphasize the mission’s original design and craftsmanship. Together, these images document a site caught between ruin and survival, preserving architectural forms even as materials slowly returned to the landscape.

Ownership, Adaptation, and Mission Uses (Late 1800s–1900)

After secularization, Mission San Fernando entered a long period of private ownership and adaptive use. While many mission structures deteriorated, others were repurposed for agriculture, storage, travel, and social activity. Photographs from the late 1800s reflect a site shaped less by religious life than by practical reuse, standing between abandonment and the first stirrings of preservation.

Historical Notes

In 1845, Governor Pío Pico declared the mission buildings for sale and, in 1846, made Mission San Fernando Rey de España his headquarters as Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando. During the late 19th century, the mission complex served a variety of non-religious purposes. North of the mission stood Lopez Station, a stop on the Butterfield Stage Lines. Other structures were used as warehouses for the Porter Land and Water Company, and in 1896 the mission quadrangle was reportedly used as a hog farm. The mission church did not return to active religious use until 1923, when the Oblate priests arrived.

Early Preservation and Restoration Begins (1903–1909)

In the early 1900s, Mission San Fernando entered the first phase of organized preservation. These efforts focused primarily on stabilizing the convento, or “Long Building,” rather than fully restoring the mission complex. While some repairs were made, much of the site remained in a fragile and unfinished state, reflecting the limited resources and evolving preservation philosophy of the time.

In 1903, preservation work began at Mission San Fernando with an emphasis on stabilizing the convento, the largest remaining structure. These early efforts did not attempt a full historical restoration but instead focused on preventing further collapse. Other mission buildings, including the original chapel, remained largely unrestored for decades, underscoring the piecemeal approach to preservation during this period.

Water, Brand Park, and the Mission Landscape (Early 1900s)

Water shaped every aspect of Mission San Fernando’s survival and daily operation. Springs, irrigation channels, fountains, and reservoirs supported agriculture, domestic life, and industry, while the surrounding landscape evolved as mission lands transitioned into civic and public use. Photographs and maps from the early 1900s document this interconnected system of water, land, and structures at a moment when the mission’s physical footprint was beginning to stabilize.

Historical Notes

Several natural springs supplied water to Mission San Fernando, supporting an extensive irrigation system that served the mission buildings, orchards, vineyards, workshops, and surrounding lands. This water network was essential to the mission’s agricultural economy and continued to influence land use well into the 20th century.

From Historic Ruin to Public Landmark (1920s)

By the 1920s, Mission San Fernando had begun its transition from a neglected historic ruin into a recognized public landmark. While restoration was still limited, increased visitation, civic interest, and symbolic improvements reflected a growing awareness of the mission’s historical and cultural importance. Photographs from this decade show the site as both fragile and newly valued, balancing preservation with public access.

San Fernando Mission in the 20th Century

In 1923, Mission San Fernando returned to active religious use when the property was transferred to the Oblate fathers. Restoration efforts proceeded gradually, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the mission’s history. Although the site had endured decades of neglect and adaptive use, the 1920s signaled a shift toward preservation, public engagement, and renewed spiritual function. Artifacts such as the original fountain, soap works, and water reservoir were preserved nearby, reinforcing the mission’s emerging identity as both a historic site and a living institution.

Restoration Era and the Mission Returns as a Working Church 1920s–early 1930s

Following decades of neglect and adaptive use, Mission San Fernando entered a new phase in the early 20th century. In 1923, the mission returned to active religious life under the care of the Oblate fathers. Restoration proceeded gradually, combining structural repair with continued daily use of the mission. Photographs from this period document hands-on preservation, renewed community involvement, and the mission’s transformation into a functioning church and historic landmark.

By the early 1920s, Mission San Fernando was no longer abandoned but had not yet undergone full restoration. Under the care of the Oblate fathers beginning in 1923, the mission returned to regular religious use while repairs were carried out gradually and as resources allowed. Photographs from this period show a working mission—still worn in places—serving parish life and the surrounding community. Structural deterioration, temporary repairs, and reused historic elements reflect a practical approach to preservation during the early restoration years.

Brand Park, Memory Garden, and the Mission Grounds (1920s)

As Mission San Fernando reentered public life in the 1920s, the surrounding grounds took on new civic and commemorative roles. Brand Park, or Memory Garden, emerged as a landscaped counterpart to the mission, blending preservation, interpretation, and public use.

Historical Notes

Brand Park, also known as Memory Garden, was given to the City of Los Angeles on November 4, 1920. The park occupies land that was once part of the original Mission San Fernando Rey de España land grant and was developed as a civic landscape complementing the historic mission across the street. Its design incorporated mission-era elements, including the original fountain and reservoir features, and reflected early 20th-century efforts to preserve and interpret California’s Spanish colonial heritage.

In 1935, Brand Park was designated California Historic-Cultural Monument No. 150.

Brand Park was designed as a civic landscape intended to preserve, interpret, and complement the historic mission across the street while providing public access.

Restoration Work and the Mission Landscape (Late 1920s–1930s)

As restoration efforts at the San Fernando Mission gained momentum in the late 1920s, work on the historic buildings took place within a broader landscape that was still largely agricultural and only beginning to suburbanize. Adobe repair, traditional construction methods, and stabilization of long-neglected structures occurred alongside active orchards, early road development, and nearby historic sites tied to the mission’s rancho past. Photographs from this period place the physical restoration of the mission within its wider geographic and historical setting.

Scaffolding and damaged walls visible in these images document hands-on restoration that relied on traditional adobe construction techniques rather than modern materials.

Historical Notes

The Andrés Pico Adobe, built in 1834, is one of the oldest surviving residences in the San Fernando Valley. Constructed by Indigenous people associated with Mission San Fernando, the adobe originally stood within the mission’s orchards and vineyards. It later became the home of Andrés Pico, brother of California governor Pío Pico, and reflects the transition from mission control to rancho-era land use.

By the 1930s, the surrounding landscape included citrus groves and packing facilities associated with the San Fernando Heights Lemon and Orange Association, illustrating the continued agricultural use of former mission lands during the period of mission restoration. Buildings tied to the citrus industry were located south of the adobe, situating the structure within a broader working landscape that linked mission history, rancho life, and early 20th-century agriculture.

Historical Notes

This view was taken from a hillside near the location of today’s Odyssey Restaurant in Mission Hills. The San Fernando Mission appears at center-left, with homes along Memory Park Avenue—built in the mid-1920s—visible near the center of the image. Citrus packing buildings associated with the San Fernando Heights Lemon Association stand to the right, while Rinaldi Street cuts diagonally across the lower portion of the scene.

Mission Life, Architecture, and Public Presence (1930s–1940s)

By the mid-1930s, restoration work at Mission San Fernando had progressed to the point where the site once again functioned as an active religious, social, and historic place. Courtyards, arcades, and interior spaces were stabilized and put to regular use, while visitors increasingly experienced the mission as both a living parish and a public landmark. Images from this period document how restored architecture, daily life, and growing public interest came together during the mission’s reestablished role in the San Fernando Valley. By this time, the mission had become a regular stop for visitors while continuing to serve its parish community.

By the mid-1930s, the mission courtyard functioned both as an active religious space and as a focal point for visitors, reflecting the site’s renewed public presence.

Later Views, Official Recognition, and Enduring Legacy (1950s–Present)

This section highlights the mission’s transition into a protected historic landmark and its continued role as an active religious and cultural site.

Historical Notes

By the mid-20th century, Mission San Fernando Rey de España had emerged as one of the best-preserved mission sites in California. In recognition of its historical and architectural significance, the Convento Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. In 1999, the entire mission complex was listed on the National Register, formally acknowledging the site’s importance at both the state and national levels.

Mission San Fernando Rey de España has also been designated California Historic Landmark No. 157, recognizing its foundational role in the history of the San Fernando Valley and early California.

Historical Notes

Although preservation efforts began as early as the late 19th century, full restoration of the mission church was not achieved until the mid-20th century. Significant financial support from the Hearst Foundation in the 1940s made comprehensive restoration possible. In 1971, a major earthquake severely damaged the church, requiring it to be completely rebuilt. Restoration was completed in 1974.

The mission continues to serve as an active parish church and remains carefully maintained. In 2003, entertainer Bob Hope was interred in the Bob Hope Memorial Gardens adjacent to the mission, further connecting the site to Southern California’s modern cultural history.

Context and Wrap-Up: Then & Now and the California Missions Map

These final comparisons place Mission San Fernando Rey de España within both its historical setting and its modern landscape. Together, they show how the mission has endured as a physical landmark while the world around it has changed.

Then and Now

The fountain and arcade at Mission San Fernando Rey de España appear in both images. Although the fountain has been restored and the grounds landscaped, the basic layout and architecture seen in the 1890s view are still recognizable today.

The modern image shows the mission as it appeared before changes made in 2020. That year, protests across California led to renewed attention on monuments connected to the mission era. A statue of Junípero Serra near the mission was removed by the City of Los Angeles as a public safety measure and placed into storage. The statue was removed by the City, not by protestors.

Historical Notes

By the time the final California mission was founded in 1823, the region had evolved from a sparsely explored frontier into a connected agricultural landscape. The 21 missions that form California’s Historic Mission Trail are located on or near modern Highway 101, which closely follows the route of El Camino Real, the Royal Road. This route linked the missions administratively, economically, and culturally, shaping early settlement patterns that continue to influence California today.

Closing Summary Statements

Taken together, these images trace Mission San Fernando Rey de España from its earliest days through decline, adaptation, preservation, and renewal. They reveal a site shaped not only by architecture and faith, but by people, land use, transportation, and time.

Today, the mission stands as both a historic landmark and a living institution—not a relic of the past, but a continuous record of the San Fernando Valley and California itself.

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