The Old Mission San Juan Bautista holds claim to some of
California’s oldest surviving artifacts from the Mission time
period.
Many of these artifacts, not to mention many sections of the
buildings, are in dire need of repair and restoration if California
is to hold on to the historic pieces.
The Old Mission San Juan Bautista holds claim to some of California’s oldest surviving artifacts from the Mission time period.
Many of these artifacts, not to mention many sections of the buildings, are in dire need of repair and restoration if California is to hold on to the historic pieces.
“We have the few remaining pieces of Mission-frontier life that exist,” said California State University, Monterey Bay archaeologist and California Mission specialist Ruben Mendoza. “Other missions have copied pieces we have here in San Juan Bautista.”
Several paintings and statues at the Mission have already been restored, however this restoration comes attached with a large price tag.
Two statues recently restored, St. John the Baptist and San Pascal that sit above the altar in the main chapel, amassed almost $15,000 in restoration fees.
Some paintings that were literally vanishing and badly deteriorating structures have been restored and repaired thanks to mini-grants, many of which were written by Mendoza.
“A small painting can cost between $4,000 to $5,000 to restore, and it takes about six months to do it,” Mendoza said.
While much of the restoration has been done by an artist in Santa Barbara, the Mission would prefer to use local artists, he said.
Some of the restoration comes from experienced and expert craftsmanship, but others have resulted from blind luck – or God’s will – some would say.
A statue of San Antonio De Padua that resides high above the altar in the main chapel, broke apart, allowing the statue of the baby Jesus held in its arms to fall to the ground and break into pieces.
“(Jesus) landed in a bouquet of flowers, and the only reason it still has any detail to it is because the flowers broke its fall, and I found the fingers and toes that had broken off in the trash with some flower clippings,” Mendoza said.
After all the pieces were found and collected, the statue was put back together.
After sustaining the elements for more than 200 years, structural sections of the Mission are becoming cause for concern as well, Mendoza said.
“The electric wiring is a major problem,” he said. “A fire could take out the entire conventor wing, which is the only building of its type that has survived in tact.”
In addition to grants and donations, hundreds of hours from volunteers have been crucial to the Mission’s restoration efforts.
“All kinds of people have volunteered their time,” Mendoza said. “I always say it’s one of the biggest fixer-uppers I’ve ever worked on, and I’ve worked on a few big ones.”
