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Ysleta Mission: then and now

1936 vs 2010 · El Paso, TX

Ysleta Mission, 2010Ysleta Mission, 1936
NowThen
Then, 1936A black-and-white photo of the plain adobe side wall with a small white dome on the tower, seen from the street.Photo: Marvin Eickenroht · Public domain · Source · resized
Today, 2010The front of the pale church with a cross on top and a round gray-blue dome on the bell tower, under a cloudy sky.Photo: James Reyes · CC BY 3.0 · Source · resized

The story

The Tigua people were forced from Isleta Pueblo after the 1680 Pueblo Revolt. In 1682 they built a permanent adobe building here, and it was dedicated that October. The mission is recognized as the oldest continuously operated parish in Texas.

A flood in 1829 washed the structure away, and the Rio Grande's new course put the site in the Republic of Texas. A remodel in 1897 added the beehive-shaped bell tower.

The 1907 fire caused huge damage and the church was rebuilt in 1908. It became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1962 and joined the National Register of Historic Places on July 31, 1972.

Did you know? The church was rebuilt in 1908 after a fire in 1907.
Historians argue about this. Many people assume the building is the original one from 1682. Wikipedia says an 1829 flood washed the structure away and a 1907 fire caused massive damage, so the church was rebuilt in 1908.

Fact or tall tale?

Sources

More: Look for historic photos at the Library of Congress

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Next: Union Depot. Written from the cited sources, not yet walked on site unless noted.