Building Materials For the Traditional Spanish Mission

The Spanish Mission Style of Architecture servedbuilt in California, they had a lot of difficulties to
functional and aesthetic purposes when it wassay the very least. There was a scarcity of
first produced in California. "Padres" or priestsimported materials as well as a shortage of skilled
from Spain came to the coastline of California tolabor, so they had to use simple building materials
build their missions and convert the natives, andand easy methods of construction to get the job
the style of the missions was a reflection of thedone. They gathered material and workforce
great cultural soup that was being prepared.from the surrounding lands.
Native Californians used their skill, priests usedThe 5 most important materials they used were
their design aesthetic from the old country, andadobe, timber, stone, brick and tile, which are all
the raw materials of their work would come fromthe staples of the style today. Adobe was a very
the natural products off the coast of California.innovative material made from earth and water,
The materials that would eventually build thechaff, straw and manure. These were mud bricks,
Spanish missions would later be used andand they were very useful in this region of the
emulated for the Spanish mission style ofUS. The method was originated in Spain and
architecture that later became popular in CaliforniaMexico, so workers were easily able to assemble
and elsewhere in the US. Buildings throughout Losthe bricks that would make up the missions.
Angeles tried to emulate this style as it becameLevel ground was found, and the workers would
more fashionable, and even in other places acrossput the mud mixture into brick molds, and arrange
the nation, like in St. Louis, Missouri where T.P.them in rows to be leveled by hand to the top of
Barnett's Spanish Mission Style Deco building stillthe mold's frame. Today, these bricks still have
stands. The Barnett building was a fusion buildinghand and fingerprints, reminiscent of the people
of Spanish and Art Deco that became incrediblywho once worked long hours. Some people even
popular in the 1920's, and today holds true to itsinscribed names and dates on the bricks. California
beauty and grace.adobe was fairly easy to make and handle, and
When Padres were trying to get their missionslightweight for easy carrying.