Location: 2295 Purisima Road, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA
Found: December 8, 1787
Official site
La Purisima Mission is the only Spanish Catholic mission structure
in California in United States. Rumors still persist that this
historical complex is haunted by the spirits of people who once
lived and died here. La Purisima Mission was laid in December 8,
1787 to convert local members of the Chumash tribe of Native
Americans to Roman Catholicism. At the time of its construction La
Purisima Mission was part of the Spanish colonies. After Mexico won
the Mexican War of Independence in 1823, Spanish funding ceased to
the Santa Barbara Presidio. Many soldiers at the mission who were no
longer being paid by the new Mexican government took out their
frustrations on the local Chumash Indians. After a soldier
apparently beat an Indian at nearby Mission Santa Inés, the Chumash
Revolt of 1824 occurred at that mission. It spread to La Purisima
Mission, where the Chumash people took over the mission for one
month until more soldiers arrived from Monterey Presidio.
Eventually, the Chumash lost their hold on the mission with many
leaving the mission soon there after. However, many of the Indians
who had sought refuge in the neighboring mountains during the revolt
returned to the mission.
Subsequent secularization of La Purisima
Mission in 1834 lead to abandonment.
Only a century year the
Catholic Church with help of Union Oil Company managed to dedicate
restored mission. Ironically it happened on the same day Perl Harbor
was bombed on December 7th, 1941. During its active existence 3,255
people were baptized, 1,029 couples were married and 2,609 were
buried by priests from a mission. Several paranormal reality TV
shows visited the site of La Purisima Mission checking the claims of
the place being haunted.
La Purisima Mission is now part of the La Purísima Mission State Historic Park within the California State Parks System. With a visitor center and guided tours, the historic park is maintained by the California Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR). La Purisima is located in Lompoc, in the county of Santa Barbara, California.
The "Mission la Purísima Concepción de María Santísima", was founded
by Father President Fermín de Lasuén on December 8, 1787. It was the
eleventh of the 21 Franciscan Missions established in Alta California .
One of the major earthquakes , on December 21, 1812, destroyed many
of the mission buildings. Father Mariano Payeras received permission to
move the mission community 6.4 km (4 miles) to the northeast in "La
Cañada de los Berros", next to El Camino Real .
The Mission of La
Purísima was officially established at its new location on April 23,
1813 . Materials recovered from the buildings destroyed by the
earthquake were used to build the new buildings, which were finished ten
years later.
The end of the California missions came in 1834 ,
when the Mexican government, which had won independence from Spain,
transferred control of the missions from the Catholic Church to civil
authorities. The property passed into private hands and the mission
buildings fell into ruin.
In 1933 , the Union Oil Company deeded
several parcels in the State of California. Under the direction of the
National Park Service , the Civilian Conservation Corps restored or
reconstructed many of the mission's adobe buildings.
"La Purísima Mission State Historic Park" was one of many state parks threatened with closure in 2008 . These closures were ultimately avoided by cutting hours for the maintenance of the entire exhibition system.
The mission gardens and ranch represent what would have been found at
the mission during the 1820s .
Special "Living History" events
are scheduled throughout the year.
A visitor center features
information, displays, and artifacts, and a self-guided tour offers
visitors the chance to step back in time for a glimpse into this period
in California history.