- City:
- San Luis Obispo, CA
- Site Type:
- Historical Restoration, Archaeology and History
- New Deal Agencies:
- Works Progress Administration (WPA), Work Relief Programs
- Started:
- 1939
- Completed:
- 1939
- Quality of Information:
- Moderate
- Marked:
- Yes
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa was thoroughly restored in the 1930s under the guidance of Father John Hartnett, after a long history of neglect. A previous rebuild in 1868 had added wooden siding and a wooden tower in New England style. That was removed in 1934 and the mission was restored to a semblance of its original appearance (uncertain after many transformations).
A stone wall was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) on the west side of the mission along Palm Street and up the southwest side of the mission along Broad Street, effectively supporting the exterior wall of the convento over the street cut. The workers carved “WPA 1939” into the stone near the corner of Monterey Street.
It is unknown to us whether the WPA participated further in the overall mission restoration, though it seems likely.
Source notes
Local historical society across the street from Mission SLO
Site originally submitted by Richard A Walker on March 1, 2019.
Additional contributions by Joan Greer.
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Tim Waag
I always knew about the stone wall built by the WPA on the west side of the 1772 Mission San Luis Obispo quadrangle. I didn’t know until recently about the cross stone pattern imbedded in the wall, so after my mission tour yesterday, I went to investigate. Sure enough, in the middle of the stone wall on Broad Street, plain as day, is this cross. I have walked by it a 1,000 times and never saw it before – holy cow! Email me if you want a photo of the cross in the wall!