Carmel Mission Basilica - Carmel, CA
Posted by: 
Metro2
N 36° 32.580 W 121° 55.196
10S E 596673 N 4044720
The Carmel Mission Basilica received California's Governor's Historic Preservation Award in 2015.
Waymark Code: WMPY80
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 11/09/2015
Views: 4
The Governor's Historic Preservation Awards website (
visit link) informs us:
"The Carmel Mission Basilica, completed in 1797, was the first of only three stone mission churches in California. By 2012 the basilica was in great need of attention. Community members formed the non-profit Carmel Mission Foundation to fund and oversee the restoration project. Walls and buttresses were seismically retrofitted. Particular care was taken in the repair of historic plaster, exposed stone surfaces, and original wooden roof support beams. 3-D technology was used to accurately measure roof components. An Indigenous Peoples Consultant advised the project team on the handling and reburial of human remains found within the structure of the church. A complete record was made of the project to aid future restorers. The successful stabilization and restoration work will ensure the Carmel Mission Basilica is available to visitors for decades to come"
Wikipedia (
visit link) adds:
"Restoration
The Carmel Mission was in ruins when the Roman Catholic Church regained control of the mission building and the land in 1863. In 1884 Father Angel Casanova began to restore the mission building. In 1931 Monsignor Philip Scher appointed Harry Downie as the curator in charge of mission restoration. Two years later, the church transferred the mission from the Franciscans to the local diocese and it became a regular parish church. In 1960, the mission was designated as a minor basilica by Pope John XXIII. Downie labored for virtually the rest of his life to restore the mission, ancillary buildings and walls, and the grounds. In 1987, Pope John Paul II visited the mission as part of his U.S. tour.
"Mission Carmel", as it came to be known, was Serra's favorite and, because it was close to Monterey, the capital of Alta California, he chose it as his headquarters. When he died on August 28, 1784, he was interred beneath the chapel floor."