Grant money awarded to restore two California Missions

Solvang, Calif. - The California Missions Foundation (CMF) is celebrating more than $1-million in funding for two missions in need of repair.

Both Mission Santa Inés in Solvang and Mission San Juan Bautista in San Benito County need important retrofits to prevent damage to these historic sites.

The Foundation has worked with the National Parks Service and the Department of the Interior to secure the matching grants for the two missions. They come through the Save America's Treasures fund.

Mission Santa Ines will receive $500,000. Mission San Juan Bautista receives $750,000, the largest in the list of grants missions have received in the state.

Details were announced by Director David Bolton and Pastor at Mission Santa Inés, Father Michael Ronayne.

The Santa Ines mission origins date back to 1804.

It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1999.

Bolton said, "they are so important to our history, they continue to serve as a platform for so many stories to be told this is a and we've all seen recently what can happen to an unretrofitted building during a massive earthquake. We want to make sure  that  that it does not happen in Santa Ines  and that it doesn't happen at Mission San Juan Bautista."

Father Ronayne said, "as important as it was for the community, historically, spiritually and otherwise, it is so important and we certainly want to see work going forward so that this remains  in tact for future generations and a safe place for our community today."

He pointed out cracks in the bell tower structure and both inside and outside of the church.

The plan ahead will involve steel reinforcements to make sure the roof and the walls are secure together and able to handle the impacts of an earthquake.

In a news release, the rich history of this mission was detailed.
“The Santa Inés Mission is significant because of its contribution to the industrialization of Mission agriculture,” said CMF Chair Michael H. Imwalle, a leading archaeologist at the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation. “The mission developed an elaborate water system with a water-powered grist mill in 1818 and a water-powered fulling mill 1820 for processing woolen fabric. It is the only verified mechanized fulling mill in the California Mission system.”

An informational meeting was held at Mission Santa Ines Wednesday and one will be held at Mission San Juan Bautista Thursday.

Jewel Gentry with the Diocese of Monterey and Mission San Juan Bautista looked at the wall structures and talked about similarities in the missions. "If they are not connected and  notched in together then they moves and it goes all over the place."

The location of the mission is also a factor. "Our project in particular will be the front facade of the  mission church which is just feet away from the San Andreas fault and it sits  right on top of the old El Camino Real. So the importance of this project is clear. This is going to be a huge project for that community which is also a rural  mission community," said Gentry. 

In all, CMF has received six Save America’s Treasures grants in the last 20 years to help preserve the California missions.  They have gone to Mission San Miguel, Mission Carmel, Mission San Luis Rey, Mission Santa Barbara, Mission Santa Ines and Mission San Juan Bautista.

In the latest round of grants, they have to be matched. For Mission Santa Ines, already funds have come in from the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and the Mission parish funds. A widespread community outreach for more donations will be made.

For more information and to make a donation go to: California Missions Foundation