Recent Lecture on the Missions of Baja and Alta California at the Presidio Chapel

by Anne Petersen

On April 10 2014, SBTHP and our co-hosts the Santa Barbara Mission Archive-Library were pleased to host a lecture by Max Kurillo and David Kier on the Missions of Baja and Alta California.   The two speakers have recently published a book on the topic, which is available in La Tiendita at El Presidio SHP.  The book is a practical, spiral-bound guide meant to be taken on the road while touring the missions, one of the very few of its kind that includes California missions both north and south of the border.

Kurillo and Kier presented an image-filled presentation, organized by the founding date of each mission in the chain. They switched off based on their area of expertise:  Kier with the Baja CA missions and Kurillo with the Alta CA missions. The audience appreciated the many anecdotes and insightful details about the particularities of each mission. Guests were especially intrigued by the presentation of some of the Baja missions, some represented simply by a photo of an empty landscape where structures used to stand.

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After the presentation the audience enjoyed a reception in the Presidio orchard where they were able to spend more time with the presenters. To make sure you stay informed about the many programs SBTHP hosts like this one, sign up to receive our email newsletter, here.

Anne Petersen is the Associate Director for Historical Resources at the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation.

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