La Purísima Mission
Mission La Purísima Concepción, or La Purísima Mission, near Lompoc is the most completely restored of the California mission complexes. The mission was established on December 8, 1787, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, by the Franciscan order. The original complex south of Lompoc was destroyed by an earthquake in 1812. The complex was rebuilt at its present site a few miles to the northeast. Following secularization of the missions, the buildings were abandoned. By 1934, only nine remained intact. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) undertook its restoration, finishing in 1941. The mission is now part of the La Purísima Mission State Historic Park, one of only two California missions no longer governed by the Catholic Church. The mission is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark and a California Historical Landmark.
Lompoc, Santa Barbara County
Photographer: Andrew Schmidt