Mission San Francisco de la Espada
| Mission San Francisco de la Espada | |
|---|---|
The church of Mission San Francisco de la Espada.
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 Shown within Texas
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| Basic information | |
| Location | San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
| Geographic coordinates | 29°19′04″N 98°27′00″W / 29.317833°N 98.449968°WCoordinates: 29°19′04″N 98°27′00″W / 29.317833°N 98.449968°W |
| Affiliation | Catholic (Roman Rite) |
| Country | United States of America |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural style | Spanish Colonial |
| Completed | Founded 1690 |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| Added to NRHP | February 23, 1972; January 28, 1974 |
| NRHP Reference no. | 72001351; 74002324 |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii |
| Designated | 2015 (39th session) |
| Reference no. | 1466 |
| State Party |
 United States
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| Region | Europe and North America |
Mission San Francisco de la Espada (also Mission Espada) is a Roman Rite Catholic mission established in 1690 by Spain in present-day San Antonio, Texas, in what was then known as northern New Spain. The mission was built in order to convert local Native Americans to Christianity and solidify Spanish territorial claims in the New World against encroachment from France. Today, the structure is one of four missions that comprise San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.
Founded in 1690 as San Francisco de los Tejas near Weches, Texas and southwest of present-day Alto, Texas, Mission San Francisco de la Espada was the first mission established in Texas.
Three priests, three soldiers and supplies left among the Nabedache Indians. The new mission was dedicated on June 1, 1690. A smallpox epidemic in the winter of 1690-1691 killed an estimated 3,300 people in the area. The Nabedache believed the Spaniards brought the disease and hostilities developed between the two groups.
Drought besieged the mission in the summers of 1691 and 1692, and the Nabedache wished to get rid of the mission. Under threat of personal attack, the priests began packing their belongings in the fall of 1693. On October 25, 1693, the padres burned the mission and retreated toward Monclova. The party lost its way and did not reach Monclova until February 17, 1694.
The mission was re-established in the same area on July 5, 1716 as Nuestro Padre San Francisco de los Tejas. The new mission had to be abandoned in 1719 because of conflict between Spain and France.
The mission was tried once more on August 5, 1721 as San Francisco de los Neches. As the Nabedache were no longer interested in the mission, and France had abandoned effort to lay claim in the area, the mission was temporarily relocated along the Colorado River in July 1730. Mission Tejas State Park encompasses the original site of the mission.
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