Mission Espada: Unique Architecture and New Skills

Over a century, a new religion, a new language, and new skills replaced the former nomadic lifestyle of bands like Borrados, Pacaos, and Tacames amongst others.

Mission Espada preserves a rich history nearly three-centuries long. It is the successor to the first mission established in East Texas at a different location in 1690.

The original housing, for both for neophytes and Spanish soldiers, were simple structures with thatched roofs. Later, building material from a nearby quarry enabled the construction of permanent stone buildings. The low walls outline their foundations.

Masonry was one of the many new vocational skills taught and mastered as part of the training offered at Espada. Each stone and brick laid down by the hands of the native mission inhabitants is an example of the European skills they both adopted.

The entrance door to the church at Mission Espada is an architectural quirk and mystery. Why do you think it was built this way?

Like the community around it, Mission Espada evolved over time. A Mexican military garrison occupied the buildings in the early 1800s.

In the early 1900s, a parochial school used this space for many years. It served neighborhood children for decades.

An elementary school serving both Mission Espada and Mission San Juan parishes operated here until 1967. Fragments of the green paint typical in parochial schools are still evident.