San Francisco de Asis Mission Church
San Francisco de Asis Mission Church | |
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Mission Church of Ranchos de Taos | |
Shown within New Mexico | |
Basic information | |
Location |
The Plaza of Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico USA |
Geographic coordinates | 36°21′31″N 105°36′28″W / 36.3586°N 105.6078°WCoordinates: 36°21′31″N 105°36′28″W / 36.3586°N 105.6078°W |
Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
Architectural description | |
Architect(s) | Unknown |
Architectural style | Spanish |
Completed | 1772 |
U.S. National Historic Landmark | |
Added to NRHP | April 15, 1970[1] |
NRHP Reference no. | 70000416 |
Designated as NHL | April 15, 1970[2] |
San Francisco de Asis Mission Church is a church built between 1772 and 1816. It is located on the plaza in Ranchos de Taos, itself a historic district named Ranchos de Taos Plaza, about four miles southwest of the town of Taos, New Mexico.
Overview
Construction on the church began around 1772[3][4] and was completed in 1815[3] by Franciscan Fathers and its patron is Saint Francis of Assisi. It is made of adobe, similar to many of the other Spanish missions in New Mexico.[5] It was the center of the fortified Ranchos de Taos Plaza for protection against Comanche attackers.[6]
It is located a few miles south of Taos Pueblo and has inspired some of the greatest number of depictions of any building in the United States.[5] It was the subject of several paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe,[7][8] and photographs by Ansel Adams, Paul Strand and Ned Scott. Georgia O'Keeffe described it as "one of the most beautiful buildings left in the United States by the early Spaniards."[5] The Taos Chamber of Commerce states that the building is "one of the most photographed and painted churches in the world".[9]
It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970.[1][10] It is also designated as a World Heritage church.[11]
Gallery
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Historic photograph of the church's front exterior, 1934.
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Historic photograph of the church exterior, 1934.
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Historic photograph of the church interior, 1934.
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Front exterior
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The famous rear exterior
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Main altar, repainted 1981.
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One of the two altars in the church interior.
See also
References
- 1 2 "San Francisco de Asis Mission Church". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
- ↑ Staff (2008-04-15). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
- 1 2 Hooker, Van Dorn. Centuries of Hands: An Architectural History of St. Francis of Assisi Church, p15. Sunstone Press (1996), ISBN 0-86534-234-2.
- ↑ Ranchos de Taos. The Columbia Gazetteer of North America. 2000
- 1 2 3 Charles C. Eldredge (1993). Georgia O'Keeffe: American and Modern, p198. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-05581-1.
- ↑ Marc Treib (1 January 1993). Sanctuaries of Spanish New Mexico. University of California Press. pp. 188–192. ISBN 978-0-520-06420-1.
- ↑ 1971.16 | Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas
- ↑ Georgia O'Keeffe - Learning
- ↑ "Pilgrimage to the Mission Churches" (PDF). Taos Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
- ↑ Charles W. Snell (May 1, 1968) National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: San Francisco de Assisi Mission Church, National Park Service and Accompanying photos from 1968
- ↑ GCatholic.org
Further reading
- Spirit and Vision: Images of Ranchos de Taos Church. 1987, Museum of New Mexico Press. ISBN 0-89013-170-8. 80 images of the church, from a 1982 exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe.
- Marc Treib (1 January 1993). Sanctuaries of Spanish New Mexico. University of California Press. pp. 192–195. ISBN 978-0-520-06420-1.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rancho de Taos church. |
- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. NM-7, "Mission Church of Ranchos de Taos, Ranchos de Taos, Taos County, NM", 12 photos, 2 color transparencies, 33 measured drawings, 6 data pages, 2 photo caption pages
- Vintage Ranchos de Taos Photos by Ned Scott
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