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Mission Espada is a Catholic mission church in San Antonio, Texas. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of four missions that make up the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.
Origins
Mission Espada was originally founded by Franciscan friars in 1690 as San Francisco de los Tejas near present-day Weches, Texas. It was the first mission in Texas but experienced several setbacks over its first few years, such as a smallpox epidemic, drought, and hostilities with Native Americans. The mission was abandoned on October 25, 1693, re-established on July 5, 1716, and abandoned again in 1719.
On August 5, 1721, the mission was re-established yet again as San Francisco de los Neches. On March 5, 1731, it relocated to its current location and was renamed San Francisco de la Espada, or Mission Espada for short. A friary was built in 1745 and the church was completed in 1756.
Life at the Mission
At Mission Espada, Native Americans learned the Spanish language as well as a variety of vocational skills. Life within the mission was meant to mirror that of a village in Spain. It was the only mission in San Antonio where bricks and tiles were made. The skills taught proved to be invaluable well past the colonial years.
In 1794, Mission Espada began the process of secularization and transformed to a church-based community. Each of the remaining 15 families at the mission received land and shared supplies and equipment.
In 1826, a Comanche raid saw the cornfields decimated and several livestock killed. That same year, a fire broke out in the kitchen destroying several buildings, but the church and community both survived. The church at Mission Espada continues to function as an active Catholic parish.
Espada Aqueduct
Finally, north of the mission is the Espada Aqueduct (Espada Acequia). It was built between 1731 and 1745 by the Franciscans. It brought water from the San Antonio River via an acequia (irrigation) system to the farmlands of Mission Espada.
The Mission Espada acequia system is a 15 mile network that irrigated about 3,500 acres of land. It’s the most complete and original acequia system in the park and is still in use today. The best place to see the aqueduct and system is in a small section of the park near Mission San Juan.
