We visited this mission December 27, 2003 and the slides are being processed now and will be added soon. Mission San Antonio de Padua now resides within an 85 acre holding within Fort Hunter Liggett.

San Antonio was the most successful mission in educating and converting the native population and eventually became one of the most prosperous of the missions. Mission industries included cattle and sheep and wine and basket weaving. While the mission was at first moderately successful, the native population was decimated by disease and the mission was eventually abandoned.

In 1834, secularization saw Mission San Antonio de Padua transferred from the padres to civil control and the mission fell into neglect. In 1863, the U.S. Land Commission returned 33 acres of mission property. Following the death of the last resident priest in 1882, the mission was abandoned and the structures deteriorated. The roof collapes in 1890 due to termite damage to the timbers. Only some walls remained when reconstruction began in 1903. Between 1902 and 1908, the California Historic Landmarks League rebuilt the church wall and roof. This restoration was slowed by he 1906 San Francisco earthquake which toppled most of the walls and slowed reconstruction as work continued through 1908. 1928 saw the Franciscans invited back to care for Mission San Antonio. It was not until 1948 that grant money from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation allowed the restoration of the mission from 1948 to 1952 to its current state.

Mailing Address:
PO Box 803
Jolon, CA 93928
Phone: 408-385-4478

Proper identification of all visitors is required along with automobile registration and proof of insurance.