The Coconino sun., 1924-04-04
TUMACACORI MONUMENT
BUILT in 18th CENTURY

Twenty-nine national monuments,
established by president proclamation
are administered as part OF the nat
ional park system by the department
of the interior through the national
park service. These monuments re-
serve to the people of the United
States historic landmarks, historic
and prehistoric structures, and otner
objects of historic or scientific inter-
est.
TumacacOri National Monument
This monument embraces 10 acres
of land in Santa Cruz county, Arizona,
about 40 miles south of Tucson and
10 miles north of Nogales. Upon the
tract is located a very ancient Span
ish mission ruin, dating it IS thought
from the latter part of the seven
teenth century, built by Jesuit priests
from Spain and operated by them for
nearly a hundred years. The most
authentic information is that this
mission, known as the Mission san
Jose de Tumacacori, was founded by
the Jesuit priest, missionary and ex-
plorer, Father Eusebio Francisco klno
about 1891.
After the year 1869 priests belong
ing to the order of Franciscan Faith
ers took charge of the mission and re-
paired its crumbling walls MAINTAIN
| ing peaceable possession thereof for
about so years. In the early part OF
the nineteenth century the mission
was attacked by Apache Indians, who
drove the priests away and disband-
ed the peaceable Papago Indians re-
siding in the vicinity of the mission.
When found by Americans, about the
wear 1850, the mission was in condl-
ton Of ruin.
The ruins as they stand consist OF
the walls and tower Of an old church
building, the walls Of mortuary
chamber at the north end of the
church building, and a court or
churchyard, surrounded by an adobe
wall 21a feet thick and feet high.
The walls of the church building
are 6 feet thick, built of adobe and
plastered both inside and outside with
| lime mortar one inch thick. The in
side walls of the main church building
received two coats of this plaster,
first, or inner coat being Of a rather
coarse character and the finished coat
being of a very fine, hard and lasting
character. The dome over the sanct-
uary and the belfry tower are con-
structed of burned brick, this being
one Of the characteristics of the arch
itecture of the mission, in which re-
spect the construction differs from
other early Spanish missions. Inside,
the dimensions of the church are 18
feet wide by Is feet in length. The
part used for the altar is situated at
the north end. 1t is 18 feet square,
surlnounted with circular dome, fin
| ished on the inside with white plaster
| decorated or frescoed in colors. The
plaster and decorations are in good
state of preservation, but the altar
is entirely gone. On the east Of the
sanctuary there is sacristy, 16 by
20 feet, 20 feet high, covered with a
barrel-vaulted roof built Of burned
brick, supported in the center by an
arch. The sanctuary and sacristy are
/ the only parts of the mission which
are now rooted over. In the south
end of the church there was a choir
| loft carried on an arch This loft and
arch are now broken down. The out
side wall of the north end of the
church building is decorated with
white plaster studded at regular in
tervals with clusters made of frag-
ments of broken Stag and broken
brick.
/ About 25 feet north of the church
building, and in the center of the
| church yard, there is circular mort
uary chamber. The wall is 312 feet
thick by 16 feet high, built of adobe,
surmounted on the top with row of
ornamental cornice brick (made of
burned brick.) The chamber has one
entrance. The walls were originally
decorated on the outside with white
plaster studded with fragments Of red
/ brick.
The entrance to the church is at
! the south and has an arched doorway.
/ To the east Of the entrance there is a
/ 1oot1o aho11t 12 fnnt cnl1arn with a