Mission Soledad

Mission Soledad is a museum, a historical site still being reconstructed as funds become available. Currently, 2 of the 4 sides of the quadrangle are rebuilt. Although the Mission's chapel has been rebuilt, there is no active Catholic priest in residence. Services are held here occasionally but by a visiting Father. The site has a caretaker in residence, next to the Mission. On this Google Maps page, you can view photos that google guides and others have downloaded. Check them out. It will certainly answer your question of what this Mission looks like today-- the restoration and the protected adobe walls from its past.

It is an active chapel. Some people say prayers, or light a devotion candle. The gift shop might have some books or items that interest you. The museum has exhibits to view. Mission Soledad is small, but it was created to reach out to the Native American population, which all over California was over 2 Million before europeans arrived.

The missionaries were the priests who ran the missions.

Like all missions, it was built incrementally over the years. Typically on the day of a mission's founding, they would build a ramada with an altar, where they would celebrate a founding mass. This mission was founded in 1791. By 1794, half of the front wing of this mission's eventual quadrangle had been built. And so on, little by little, as the years went on, subject to various "steps backward" from the likes of flood or whatever.

Mission Soledad controlled 3 ranches, raising livestock: cattle, sheep, horses and mules. So they had ranch hands. With cattle came leather products like the making of shoes. With sheep came wool production. Mission Soledad was most noted for its weaving of that wool.

It changed throughout the years. It depended on who had the duty station but it was started by Father Junipero Serra

There are serious of 21 missions in the state of California dating back to 1769 I have travel to most of them my mission is to visit all of them so that is one of the nicer mission 2 has been reconditioned however it is correct that there are 21 missions in the state of California

It is an active Catholic church, with a little gift shop, and the ruins of a few adobe structures. It has turned a section (about 50% of the building) is a cool little museum.

Mission Soledad is a very small CA mission (as compared to others) with a small gift shop with mostly religious items. There are no Indian artifacts that I am aware of.

Catholic worship, a small museum, a gift shop

Mission Soledad states that they sell no snacks or food at the Mission. They recommend bringing a picnic lunch and enjoy using one of their picnic tables.

If you google search the phrase: -- 4th grade CA mission kits -- Lots of options appear. The companies appear to sell all mission kits and you select the one you need.

Mission Soledad is made from adobe bricks, sun-dried blocks of mud and straw. The Mission is capped with clay roof tiles that were fired. The heat from firing made them water-proof. The adobe bricks are not. The clay tiles protected the fragile adobe walls.

Where you entered this question is a photo section. Click on it. Essentially, this mission is two long buildings, rectangles. It is all that has been reconstructed so far.

Missions were developed to be self-sufficient and profitable. They were designed to become the starting point for the towns that would follow. To do that, missions were designed to instruct the local native people in trades. Spain saw it essential for the Native Americans to become 'civilized.' So the missions raised livestock and crops as they built the missions. These three skills were unknown to the native people. The taught how to build buildings. Growing crops not only gave the missions necessary food, but taught another new skill. Same with raising livestock, it taught the indians how to make soap, candles and leatherwork like shoes. Same with sheep, it created jobs in weaving. Cloth was unknown to the native tribes. The Catholic Father's main concern was saving souls through baptism. But they also became an educational means of instructing Native Americans in the skills that Spain required to be able to colonize Alta California.

Its was great and it still the same since they build it in the 17s.

The 21 missions along the Camino Real in California were all founded by the Franciscan Order of the Catholic Church.

Read my review! The original 1791 building was destroyed by floods, those ruins are right next to the present chapel & museum/gift shop. Solitude is best translation for Soledad.

Approximately 100 feet.

Mission Soledad was the 13th mission along the Camino Real, founded by Father Lasuen in 1791. Destroyed by floods in 1828, it was rebuilt. Adobe wall ruins still stand on site. Reconstructed in 1955, one can visit the Soledad Mission chapel and its small museum for free when open.