Mission San Gabriel Arcangel

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Exterior view of the western end of Mission San Gabriel Arcangel, which shows the cross above the church. Mission San Gabriel Arcangel, also known as the San Gabriel Mission, is a former Roman Catholic mission and current historic landmark it was the fourth of 21 California missions to be founded. The mission was designed by Father Antonio Cruzado and is often referred to as the "Godmother of the Pueblo of Los Angeles". Padres Pedro Benito Cambon and Angel Fernandes de la Somera founded the settlement on September 8, 1771. The mission was built from 1791 to 1805 out of cut stone, brick, and mortar, and is the oldest structure of its kind south of Monterey, Ca. In the early mission era, it came to be known as the "Pride of the Missions" and became the wealthiest of all the early missions due to its large production of crops and trading of cattle hides and wine. On October 1, 1987 the Whittier Narrows Earthquake heavily damaged the mission, but it was fully restored between 1987-1993.