One of the original frescoes.
Walking up to the building, it is clear to see just how immaculately maintained the nearly 300-year-old structure is. Dating back to the early 1700s, Mission Concepción still stands in the spot where it served as a buffer against the threat of French incursion into the then Spanish territory. Mission Concepción is the oldest and least restored church in the United States. It is the only Old Spanish Missions that displays much of its original integrity, even down to the plaster.
The colorful geometric designs that once covered the surface of the mission, inside and out, are now only visible in a few places on the interior. Our client, Guido Brothers Construction Company, is working to restore the plaster of the interior. While Guido Brothers and architecture firm Ford, Powell and Carson were inspecting the dome of the roof, they carefully uncovered some of the worn pieces of decorative paintings with which the missionaries adorned its walls.
In a matter of days, the original colors and designs will be covered as the mission is newly plastered and repainted. Being able to be there first hand, to touch the original masterpieces and envision what beauty was held inside the historic structure was an indescribable experience.
The Mission Concepción restoration project, launched in order to preserve the rich history of the San Antonio Missions, is the first part of the larger restoration project to preserve and restore all four active parish churches. Now that the original appearance of this beautiful Spanish Colonial structure has been determined, Mission Concepción’s colorful legacy will be restored to a richness that has not been seen for generations.
