Mission Concepción
807 Mission Road, worldheritagesa.com
Though known as a landmark, Mission Concepción is in fact a functioning church. Built in a traditional Spanish Colonial architecture style and opened after 20 years of building in the mid-1700s, the mission was first home to Franciscan friars, who...well… basically colonized Native Americans living in the area. The self-sufficient village included the church, a plaza, living quarters, a rectory and a defensive perimeter to protect the grounds. Due to disease, indigenous relations and Native Americans fleeing the grounds, the mission was secularized by 1824, though the Catholic Church was part of its restoration and current functioning as a parish. It also hold a bit of Texas history as the Battle of Concepción, considered the first major engagement of the Texas Revolution, took place here in October 1835.
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jess_frazier