The Old Spanish Missions were honored with the Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation at Saturday’s rededication ceremony for Mission San Juan Capistrano.
Attendees at the dinner commemorating the restoration of San Juan got a look at the details that made the project outstanding, like the hand-worked altar and architectural pieces, an exterior surface restored to its original look, and the re-interment of Native American remains found in the repair of the building’s foundation.
Father David Garcia, director of the Old Spanish Missions, said the award is not given by the governor every year.
"They only give it if there's an organization that's so outstanding that they feel it must be given," Garcia said. "In fact, he says there were three specifics upon which the Texas Historical Commission based the award.
"Number one, that we have raised the funds necessary to do this. Number two, that we have established an endowment fund so that the future of the missions is secure, and number three, that we have done this project in the right way," Garcia said.
The award was first announced in February. The San Franciscan Missions also have been nominated for inclusion as a World Heritage Site.
San Juan is the third mission to benefit from the foundation’s restoration projects. Next on the list is Mission Espada, the third of the four missions along the Mission Trail south of downtown.
