The historic San Gabriel Mission Heavily Damaged by Fire (Los Angeles: chapel, house)

[Astral_Weeks]

The historic San Gabriel Mission burned on Saturday. The mission was built in its current location in 1806. The fire destroyed the roof and the interior.

Investigators are continuing to search for the cause of a fire.

With only 21 missions documenting that period of California history, it is tragic to see this piece of local history damaged.

The mission's Moorish architectural influence stood out among the 21 California missions with its uniquely south of Spain flavor.

The structure had extensive tile work and magnificent interior columns of jasper, onyx, marble, and granite. The unique exterior with its powerful and vertical appearance of a fortress is still in tact.

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/stor...-san-gabrileno

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/l...geles/2394627/

[CA4Now]

The church was undergoing renovations to mark its upcoming 250th anniversary celebration when the fire broke out.

[CA4Now]

A man pleaded not guilty Thursday (5/20) to setting the fire last year that caused millions of dollars in damage to the San Gabriel Mission.

John David Corey, 57, is charged with breaking in and setting a pre-dawn blaze July 11 that engulfed the rooftop and most of the interior of the historic mission as it was undergoing renovations to mark its upcoming 250th anniversary celebration.

No one was hurt in the blaze. Prosecutors said the flames caused millions of dollars in damage, but firefighters managed to save the altar and historic paintings.

Corey entered pleas in Los Angeles to two counts of arson of an inhabited structure and one count each of arson during a state of emergency, first-degree residential burglary and possession of flammable material.

https://www.latimes.com/california/s...l-mission-fire

[CA4Now]

This is great to hear.

"Twenty-six months after an act of arson destroyed the roof and heavily damaged the San Gabriel Mission, the 251-year-old historic venue will temporarily reopen Saturday.

Mission clergy and staff allowed guests the first look inside the Roman Catholic house of worship, post fire, on Thursday, showing off repainted and replastered adobe walls, reworked windows with glass from Germany and a new redwood ceiling.

“Ever since the fire, there has been an anxiety as to what our beloved mission would look like,” said Father John Molyneux, 66, the parish pastor. “I’m very excited to say it will be very close to what parishioners experienced before the fire.”

https://www.latimes.com/california/s...early-restored

https://twitter.com/campadrenews/sta...early-restored

[pathrunner]

This is excellent news!

For a brief time when I was 21 I lived behind the Mexican restaurant that was across the street from the Mission grounds. Sadly, I never visited the Mission when I briefly lived there. I will make a point to visit next time I am in Southern California.

[Astral_Weeks]

^Thanks for posting the update.

While I am glad to see the restoration come to fruition...I feel as if the building will be forever contaminated as it lost a portion of its history. We have so few buildings of this age/vintage here that it is especially harsh when parts of them get destroyed by senseless human acts.

[pathrunner]

Totally agree with you. Los Angeles has lost some historic buildings in favor of glass and steel, and that is sad. Olvera Street used to be so appealing, quaint and vibrant. It's long since lost its appeal, and is dangerous to boot. Other areas are the same. I am all for preserving and restoring anything historical having to do with Los Angeles and Los Angeles County. The problem is the San Andreas Fault and other factors, the Fault being the main factor.

[dsb1067]

I hadn't heard about this. I lived and grew up within 5 miles of the mission. Wonder if the old grape vine survived? I remember my dad worked at the location of an old winery in San Gabriel within a couple of miles of the mission. I can remember as a kid snooping around the old multi-story building that held the wine vats. It was torn down in the late '60's or early '70's.

[pathrunner]

I found an article on the L.A. Times website, but it's behind a paywall. It might have survived, sure hope so. Maybe a visit to the Mission webite or the city website can offer some information.

For those interested, Archibishop Jose Gomez will be celebrating Mass in just under 2 hours (from now), livestreamed, inside the Chapel of the Annunciation at the Mission. https://parish.sangabrielmissionchur...rticle/1642495

[pathrunner]

https://www.sgvtribune.com/2021/05/2...bGSg3ZiyIs-Xis

Snipped from the article (about mid-way down):

"However, fire investigators remained tight-lipped on the motive, on what tied Corey to the Mission fire and when they arrested him. By Fall 2020, he was already serving a 3-year sentence for a July 12 attempted arson of a business on the 500 block of West Las Tunas Drive in San Gabriel."

A homeless man with prior acts of arson.