The
"Asistencia"
Reproduction of the original Estsancia ranch outpost of the Mission San Gabriel
California Historical Landmark #42
26930 Barton Road, Redlands, California. Directions (909) 793-5402
Open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed
New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Group tours
by appointment.
Mission Era (1819 - 1834)
Established in 1819 as a part of the Mission San Gabriel's Rancho San Bernardino, the original Asistencia or more correctly - Estancia functioned as an outpost for cattle grazing activities. The Asistencia buildings we can visit today are reproductions built in the 1930s and located approximately one mile east of the original Estancia site.
It is believed that in 1820 Native Americans began to dig a zanja
(irrigation ditch) to serve the area, planned by Pedro Alvarez.
At the same time, Carlos Garcia, the Spanish majordomo (overseer)
of the Rancho, directed construction of an enramada (bower
or arbor) for worship, an adobe administration building with storerooms,
and a personal residence. Majordomo Juan Alvarado (1826
- 1834) relocated the Estancia to its present site in
1830, where he constructed a new 14 room complex of adobe and
timber. By 1834 the facility was abandoned by the Mission, and
the Mexican Decree of Secularization ended mission control in
California.
Lugo Era (1842 - 1851)
Brothers Jose del Carmen Lugo, Jose Maria Lugo and Vincente Lugo,
along with their cousin Diego Sepulveda, were granted title to
the San Bernardino Rancho by the Mexican Governor of California
in 1842. Included in the property's inventory were the abandoned
Estancia, a grist mill, a tile kiln, and a lime kiln.
Jose del Carmen Lugo repaired the rancho structures and resided
at the Estancia until 1851.
Mormon Era (1851 - 1857)
Mormons purchased the Rancho San Bernardino from the Lugos in
1851 and established the city and, later, the county of San Bernardino.
Bishop Nathan C. Tenney was assigned to oversee agricultural operations
and moved into the Estancia with his wife. Mrs. Tenney
became a teacher in a newly organized school located in one room
of the complex. The Estancia also served as a polling
place for the newly organized county. The area became known as
the Mission District, or Old San Bernardino.
In 1854, Lewis and Henry Cram established a furniture factory
near the Estancia using water from the zanja
to power their machinery. For two years they manufactured chairs
with cowhide seats, tables, cupboards and bedposts from timber
that grew along the zanja and in the foothills.
Barton Era (1857 - 1925)
Dr. Benjamin Barton purchased the Estancia and surrounding
lands from the Mormons in about 1859. It is believed that he resided
and practiced medicine in the adobe buildings until the completion
of his own home, still standing adjacent to the Estancia,
in 1867. Materials from the Estancia were removed for
use elsewhere, and the adobe buildings gradually deteriorated.
Asistencia Era (1925 - present)
In 1925 the Estancia was only a ruin when the County
of San Bernardino, assisted by the San Bernardino County Historical
Society, acquired it from the Barton family. The remaining historic
materials were removed, and construction of a new six room structure
began in 1926 under the direction of Horace P. Hinckley. Construction
was completed in 1937 as a combined state (State Emergency Relief
Administration, or SERA) and federal (Works Progress Administration,
or WPA) relief project.
As had been the case in many early restoration and reconstruction
projects, artistic liberties were taken in the design of the new
Estancia. The bell tower, a historicized element patterned
after the Pala Asistencia, was introduced. Modifications were
made to the floor plan to provide exhibit space and a residence
for a site manager. This facility opened to the public in 1937
as the "Asistencia." In 1960, it was dedicated as California
Historical Landmark #42 as an outstanding example of handcrafted
structures of the WPA era. Since that time, under the administration
of the San Bernardino County Museums, the "Asistencia"
has undergone retrofitting for seismic stability.
A visit to the Asistencia will allow you the chance to visit
its museum, walk through historic rooms, and relax in the gardens.
To learn more about the Asistencia, we suggest Dr. Bruce Harley's
"Did Mission San
Gabriel Have Two Asistencias? The Case of Rancho San Bernardino,"
SBCMA Quarterly 36(4), 1989.
Activities
at the Asistencia
The Asistencia's chapel and the landscaped courtyard have been
favorite sites for weddings since the 1930s. The facility is available
for rental for weddings and
receptions by
contacting the site manager at the phone number given above.
The Asistencia is a regular stop for tour groups and school groups,
and is considered a "must see" destination for visitors
to the Redlands area.
|