Excerpt from The Architectural History of Mission San Carlos Borromeo, California
This volume is the first of a projected series relating to the architectural history of the Spanish missions of California. The work was undertaken by the Historical Survey Commission under a statute of 1917 (Statutes, 1917. Chap.410), defining its duties to be among other things "to investigate and acquire information as to the physical characteristics of the several missions which were maintained in the State of California under the charge of the Franciscan fathers.
For many years Mrs. Frances Rand Smith of Palo Alto had been engaged in the study of the old California missions and she already had copious notes, sketches, photographs and models of several of the missions. The commission therefore sought her cooperation in this work and during the summer of 1918 obtained from her the manuscript, sketches and photographs which form the basis for this report. Since that time the author and the commission have been busily engaged in revising, elaborating, and perfecting the original manuscript.
In accordance with the terms of the act a public hearing was held at Carmel, October 31, 1918, at which time the details of this report were carefully gone over by the many persons assembled who represented the Church, historical and landmarks societies, and many others. Many interesting points were developed but no material additions to the information or adverse criticism of the findings of the commission were offered.
Subsequent excavations carried on by Father Raymond M. Mestres, in charge of the parish in which San Carlos Mission is located, brought to light much valuable data and a wealth of detail regarding the mission buildings. These excavations together with continued historical research and the gathering of additional photographs has made it possible for the commission to supplement materially the original text.
In a work of this character, where the official historical records and the archeological remains are not complete but must be supplemented by other less reliable data, it is necessary to keep clearly in mind the varying degrees of reliability of the evidence presented. At least three classes of information have been used in this work First, the archeological remains as seen in the buildings and ruins now extant. In so far as these remains can be identified as parts of the mission before the time of secularization they are the most valuable data to be obtained as to form, material, and dimension. Second, there are the written records. These vary in reliability from the official contemporary records of the padres and the detailed descriptions of more or less accurate observations of scientific explorers, as Laperouse, Vancouver, Du Petit-Thouars and others, to the less definite and unreliable accounts.
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