In fact, images of these same missions were the primary factor in attracting large numbers of Americans to California between 1890 and 1940. They gave rise to their very own modern architectural traditions in numerous railway stations, public buildings, and private homes. Today, California's missions are faced with several difficult situations. Most of the missions have formed the nucleus of towns, the church becoming the center of an active growing parish. At these missions, it is easy to forget that the original foundation was a large self-contained community, raising its own crops and farm animals, housing hundreds of neophyte Indians, manufacturing pottery, textiles, metal goods, and other necessary items.
All missions show the wear and tear of normal aging.
A little of this is attractive to the visitor, but all are located in a seismically active zone. This is a difficult, complex, and expensive problem. In addition, parishes never have sufficient funds to do all the work desirable at the missions and are fearful of accepting public funds for fear of government controls. These problems are endemic to the very nature of the missions. A new threat has now appeared to threaten these venerable establishments.