National Register of Historic Places

Mission San Buenaventura and Mission Compound Site

San Buenaventura, Ventura County, California
Listed
April 9, 1975
Type
District
Period
Colonial
Ref No.
75000496

About this property

Mission San Buenaventura (Spanish: Misión San Buenaventura, Ventureño: mitsqanaqan̓), formally known as the Mission Basilica of San Buenaventura, is a Catholic parish and basilica in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The parish church in the city of Ventura, California, United States, is a Spanish mission founded by the Order of Friars Minor. Founded on March 31, 1782, it was the ninth Spanish mission established in Alta California (or Nueva California) and the last to be established by the head of the Franciscan missions in California, Junípero Serra. Designated a California Historical Landmark, the mission is one of many locally designated landmarks in downtown Ventura. The mission was named after St. Bonaventure, a 13th-century Franciscan saint, one of the early leaders of the Order to which the friars belonged, and a Doctor of the Church. On June 9, 2020, Pope Francis elevated the church to a minor basilica, and on July 15, 2020, the feast day of its patron saint, the announcement of the Pope's action was made and the elevation of the mission's status was officially proclaimed by Archbishop José Gómez of Los Angeles. The name of the mission was changed to reflect this new status in the Catholic Church. Mission San Buenaventura was planned to be founded in 1770 and become 3rd mission, but the founding was delayed because of the low availability of the military escorts needed to establish the mission. In 1793, the first church burned down. When the mission was completed, it included an adjacent quadrangle with living and work space. All that remains of the original mission is the church and its garden.

Location

San Buenaventura, Ventura County, California
34.28099, -119.29837

Categories

PREHISTORICHISTORIC - ABORIGINALHISTORIC - NON-ABORIGINALRELIGION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Feraud General Merchandise Store
Industrial
0.1 mi
Franz, Emmanuel, House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Ventura County Courthouse
Industrial
0.3 mi
Ventura Theatre
Industrial
0.4 mi
Bard, Elizabeth, Memorial Hospital
Industrial
0.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Mission San Buenaventura and Mission Compound Site listed on the National Register?

Mission San Buenaventura and Mission Compound Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 9, 1975.

What type of historic resource is Mission San Buenaventura and Mission Compound Site?

Mission San Buenaventura and Mission Compound Site is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Mission San Buenaventura and Mission Compound Site?

The period of significance for Mission San Buenaventura and Mission Compound Site is recorded as the colonial era.

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