Mission San Miguel Arcángel
est. 1797
La Misión del Gloriosísimo Príncipe Arcángel, Señor San Miguel was founded on July 25, 1797 by Franciscan Fathers Fermín Lasuén and Buenaventura Sitjar as the sixteenth mission in California. It was intended to provide a stop between Mission San Luís Obispo and Mission San Antonio de Padua, the trip between which previously took two days. A small wooden chapel was built, but replaced by an adobe chapel the following year. That chapel was lost to fire in 1806 (by which time 1000 Salinans lived at the Mission), and replaced by the current church which was built between 1816 and 1821.
In 1834, following the secularization of the missions, Mission San Miguel was abandoned. On July 4, 1846, ownership of the Mission was taken over by Petronillo Rios and William Reed, and the Reed family resided there until 1848 when they were murdered. Thereafter, the Mission's rooms were used as commercial establishments until its return to the Catholic Church by President Buchanan in 1859. Due to the Mission's decay, however, a priest was not assigned there until 1878 when Rev. Philip Farrelly arrived, the parish was established, and reconstruction began.
In 1928, Mission San Miguel was returned to the Franciscans, and reconstruction and restoration continued until the Mission took its present form. The Mission was badly damaged in the 2003 San Simeon earthquake, but following restoration and retrofitting was reopened, with a dedication mass held on the Feast Day of St. Michael the Archangel - September 29, 2009. Today, Mission San Miguel is recognized as a State and National Historic Landmark, retaining much of its original appearance. The Mission's chapel still serves as a functioning church, and a self-guided tour and museum share the Mission's story.
