Historic American Buildings Survey,
Engineering Record, Landscapes Survey
Related
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, 782 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo County, CA
- Title: Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, 782 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo County, CA
- Other Title: San Luis Obispo Mission
- Creator(s): Historic American Landscapes Survey, creator
- Related Names:
Serra, Junipero
Chumash Native Peoples
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
Fremont, John C.
Cavaller
Harnett, John
Stevens, Christopher M , transmitter
Owens, Larkin , historian - Date Created/Published: Documentation compiled after 2000
- Medium: Data Page(s): 21
- Reproduction Number: ---
- Rights Advisory:
No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. (http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html)
- Call Number: HALS CA-86
- Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print
- Notes:
- See also HABS CA-210 for additional documentation.
- 2012 HALS Challenge: Documenting the American Latino Landscape entry
- Significance: The chain of 21 missions built in California between 1769 and 1823 represents some of California’s earliest European habitation. Mission construction began while California was still controlled by Spain – long before Mexico gained control in 1821 or the United States took possession in 1846. As each mission was dedicated, it formed the core of a new community, many of which grew into major California cities – San Diego, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and San Rafael all began as missions. Some mission sites were abandoned. On 1 September 1772, Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa (“Mission”) was the fifth mission to be founded by Father Junipero Serra within Alta California. It is located midway within the mission chain stretching from San Diego to Sonoma and was the first to be founded among the Native Chumash people within what is now referred to as Central California. The present Mission structures were built between 1792-1794, altered in the late 1870s, and restored to near-original condition during the extensive restoration that swept through California with 20th Century Spanish Revival/Romanticism. Evidence also suggests work onsite completed by the Civilian Conservation Corps, gaining significance in its own right as an early example of the American historic preservation movement. The Mission was listed as State Historical Landmark No. 325 in 1966, noted also for John C. Fremont having quartered here with his California Battalion in 1846 during the war with Mexico. While it retains several characteristics of early Mission-style architecture, Mission San Luis Obispo remains unique in the combination of belfry and vestibule on the primary façade, the long secondary nave in the chapel which creates an L-shape in plan, and the eleven distinctive round pillars with square pedestals along the front portico. The Mission was also one of the first to experiment with producing roof tiles reminiscent of the materials used in Spain, which were used extensively throughout the site and ultimately became a distinctive component of most California missions. As the Mission remains in its original location, remnants of the original structures seem to be embedded throughout the Mission landscape, such as a crumbling stone wall across Broad Street to the west that supposedly dates from the 1790s. Historic plant material may also be found onsite – for example, two Vino Madre grape plants originating from the San Gabriel Mission were re-introduced to the Mission, as well as several cuttings from the original outlying fruit orchards. Within a larger context, Mission San Luis Obispo embodies the aforementioned vital civic growth that surrounded the chosen mission locations during the California Mission era. It still functions as a Catholic church and museum within the heart of the City and follows historic ritual, as one of the only missions that has continued to hand ring their bells for special events and holy days. Together with the adjacent plaza, the Mission remains an integral thread within the historic fabric of downtown San Luis Obispo.
- Survey number: HALS CA-86
- Building/structure dates: 1772 Initial Construction
- Building/structure dates: 1792-1794 Subsequent Work
- Building/structure dates: c 1870 Subsequent Work
- Building/structure dates: 1933-1934 Subsequent Work
- Building/structure dates: 1939 Subsequent Work
- Building/structure dates: 1947 Subsequent Work
- Subjects:
- Place:
- Latitude/Longitude: 35.280567, -120.664442
- Collections:
- Part of: Historic American Landscapes Survey (Library of Congress)
- Bookmark This Record:
https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ca3961/
The Library of Congress generally does not own rights to material in its collections and, therefore, cannot grant or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute the material. For further rights information, see "Rights Information" below and the Rights and Restrictions Information page ( https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/rights.html ).
- Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html
- Reproduction Number: ---
- Call Number: HALS CA-86
- Medium: Data Page(s): 21
If Digital Images Are Displaying
You can download online images yourself. Alternatively, you can purchase copies of various types through Library of Congress Duplication Services.
HABS/HAER/HALS materials have generally been scanned at high resolution that is suitable for most publication purposes (see Digitizing the Collection for further details about the digital images).
- Photographs--All photographs are printed from digital files to preserve the fragile originals.
- Make note of the Call Number and Item Number that appear under the photograph in the multiple-image display (e.g., HAER, NY,52-BRIG,4-2).
- If possible, include a printout of the photograph.
- Drawings--All drawings are printed from digital files to preserve the fragile originals.
- Make note of the Survey Number (e.g., HAER NY - 143) and Sheet Number (e.g., "Sheet 1 of 4"), which appear on the edge of the drawing. (NOTE: These numbers are visible in the Tiff "Reference Image" display.)
- If possible, include a printout of the drawing.
- Data Pages
- Make note of the Call Number in the catalog record.
If Digital Images Are Not Displaying
In the rare case that a digital image for HABS/HAER/HALS documentation is not displaying online, select images for reproduction through one of these methods:
- Visit the Prints & Photographs Reading Room and request to view the group (general information about service in the reading room is available at: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/info/001_ref.html). It is best to contact reference staff in advance (see: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/address.html) to make sure the material is on site. OR
- P&P reading room staff can provide up to 15 quick copies of items per calendar year (many original items in the holdings are too old or fragile to make such copies, but generally HABS/HAER/HALS materials are in good enough condition to be placed on photocopy machines). For assistance, see our Ask a Librarian page OR
- Hire a freelance researcher to do further selection for you (a list of researchers in available at: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/resource/013_pic.html).
- You can purchase copies of various types, including quick copies, through Library of Congress Duplication Services (price lists, contact information, and order forms for Library of Congress Duplication Services are available on the Duplication Services Web site):
- Make note of the Call Number listed above.
- Look at the Medium field above. If it lists more than one item:
- The entire group can be ordered as photocopies or high-quality copies.
- All the items in a particular medium (e.g., all drawings, all photographs) can be ordered as photocopies or high-quality copies.
- Call Number: HALS CA-86
- Medium: Data Page(s): 21
Please use the following steps to determine whether you need to fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room to view the original item(s). In some cases, a surrogate (substitute image) is available, often in the form of a digital image, a copy print, or microfilm.
-
Is the item digitized? (A thumbnail (small) image will
be visible on the left.)
-
Yes, the item is digitized. Please use the digital image in preference to requesting the original. All images can be viewed at a large size when you are in any reading room at the Library of Congress. In some cases, only thumbnail (small) images are available when you are outside the Library of Congress because the item is rights restricted or has not been evaluated for rights restrictions.
As a preservation measure, we generally do not serve an original item when a digital image is available. If you have a compelling reason to see the original, consult with a reference librarian. (Sometimes, the original is simply too fragile to serve. For example, glass and film photographic negatives are particularly subject to damage. They are also easier to see online where they are presented as positive images.)
-
No, the item is not digitized. Please go to #2.
-
-
Do the Access Advisory or Call Number fields above indicate that
a non-digital surrogate exists, such as microfilm or copy prints?
-
Yes, another surrogate exists. Reference staff can direct you to this surrogate.
-
No, another surrogate does not exist. Please go to #3.
-
-
If you do not see a thumbnail image or a reference to another surrogate, please fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room. In many cases, the originals can be served in a few minutes. Other materials require appointments for later the same day or in the future. Reference staff can advise you in both how to fill out a call slip and when the item can be served.
To contact Reference staff in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room, please use our Ask A Librarian service or call the reading room between 8:30 and 5:00 at 202-707-6394, and Press 3.
