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National Register of Historic Places (National Historic Landmark application pending) Mission San Miguel was the sixteenth mission, founded July 25, 1797 by Fr. Lasuén. This mission posesses the only intact original interior artwork in any mission. The artwork was painted in 1821 by Salinan converts in under the direction of Spanish artist Esteban Munras. The church and convento (1816) are original structures, the rear and side portions of the quadrangle are replicas. Earliest burials in the mission cemetery date to 1798. There are original millstones and tanning/soap vats in the mission garden.
URGENT NEEDS: San Miguel Mission was nearly toppled by an earthquake which hit nearby Paso Robles on December 22, 2003. County inspectors closed indefinitely (red tagged) the church building and the front of the mission quadrangle. Administrators at San Miguel now face the daunting task of managing a $20-25 million project to stabilize and restore the mission. This amount is three times what their earthquake insurance is willing to pay, and far more than what their poor, rural parish can muster. FEMA could help, but has initially rejected their application, citing church/state concerns.
In 2004, the California Missions Foundation gave $100,000 in preliminary assistance to this eligible National Historic Landmark. Although this is the largest single grant we have ever made to a mission, our Foundation seeks to raise millions of dollars more from charitable donors, private foundations, and public agencies on behalf of San Miguel. Please Help.
Directions
to the Mission
North or southbound:
Exit and proceed west on CA-46. Proceed
north on US-101. Take the first San Miguel exit.
US-101 southbound:
Exit onto 10th Street and travel east to Mission Street. (San
Luis Obispo County)
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