[p. 37] San Juan Bautista, p. 37
The Mission of San Juan Bautista was built on the edge of a mesa, overlooking a fertile valley, of what is now San Benito county, in San Juan Valley, about seven miles from Hollister, the county seat. It was 200 x 70 feet on the ground and height of walls were forty-five feet, being higher than most of the mission churches. Each of the walls were supported by four buttresses. Those on the northeast are still standing; one remains at the back; while the entire wall on the west is covered with redwood lumber, to support and to protect it from the elements.
[p. 37, San Juan Bautista, p. 37, 1908a, 1908d,]
The church was built with a nave and transepts. The nave is subdivided by seven arches, five of which have been walled in, presumably to strengthen the building. There is a choir loft over the door entrance at the front. The church is lighted wtih eight quaint little windows, with glass of small panes about five inches square.
The baptismal font, carved from sandstone, stands about three feet high, and is three feet in diameter, and over it hangs an ancient picture of the baptism of Christ. The principal altar is dedicated to St. John the Baptist, and is very gaudily frescoed and painted. Statues of redwood, one life-size of St. John, [p. 38] and four smaller ones, are executed with rare talent and artistic effect. That they are of our native woods proves that the padres, Indians, or perchance a Mexican, who dwelt at the mission, was more than ordinarily gifted in carving.
In the mission gardens are pear trees, planted a century ago. The cemetery, one acre in size, is full to the limit. In many graves are said to be buried six bodies, one above the other. In all, 4,557 bodies are there interred. An old sun dial in the garden is an object of interest, carved from sandstone long before the day of clocks in this country. It was originally intended for San Felipe and is therefore one second slow for San Juan Bautisa.
The site of San Juan, was selected as early as 1786, but the church of San Juan Bautista was not established until June 24, 1797, the day dedicated to the patron saint, John the Baptist. Work upon the chapel and the various buildings was begun immediately. It took hundreds of workers fifteen years to complete the task, and the chapel was dedicated by Father President Esteban Tapis, June 25, 1812. The establishment was so constructed as to form a court 200 feet square with buildings on three sides of it, and a high wall on the fourth. The material used was adobe (sun-dried brick) and ladiello, a kind of brick that was frequently used for flooring, and was made in a suterranean kiln. Adobes are made of certain mud mixed with straw or tough grrass. Being thoroughly kneaded by hand or trodden by foot it is molded in the desired shape and dimensions and dried in the sun. Size, 1 x 30 x 4 inches and weight about 50 pounds. The ladellos were 8 x 12 x 2 inches, and after baking in a kiln were very hard. The old floor at this mission is more than a century old, and is in fair condition. The buildings were originally roofed with tile, a portion of which has given place to shingles until such a time as the tile can be restored. The walls of San Juan have been allowed to retain the delicate tint of cinnabar that colored the mortar, and left an effect tht no after-tinting can successfully imitate.
The fine music of San Juan was a feature of the mission and a reason of its success. A chime of nine bells once called to worship. Only one of these now remains. A second one was cast from two of the originals in 1874, but lacks the sweet tone of the old ones. The other six bells have been given to other churches. An interesting and ingenious attachment to the original chime of bells is an old wooden wheel, with hollow arms, about two inches square, hung on an axle. Between each two arms is hung a wooden clapper, and as the wheel revolves, these clappers successively rap on the hollow arms. This wheel was used to call the people to worship upon occasions when the Catholic church rings no bells and could be heard at a great distance.
The Padres placed a small organ (the first brought to California), on an elevation overlooking the valley, and swiftly turned the crank, and when the Indians first heard the strange sounds, they fell upon their faces in fear; but as [p. 39] the music continued their fear left them and they began to enjoy the sweet sounds. Finally they slowly approached the hill and gradually gathered about the Padre and the wonderful singing box and listened with delight. After playing for an hour or more, he offered them sweets and told them that he had come to live among them, and the good man received a hearty welcome. The box is a hand organ standing about 4 1/2 feet high. It has tin pipes and was built by Benjamin Bodson, 22 Swan Street, London, England, in 1735. It was brought to San Juan in 1797. It became disabled and was removed to the storehouse of the mission, where it remained for many years, when a wandering tinker stopped at the mission for something to eat and repaired it. Father Tapis, the priest of San Juan, composed a great deal of music for the California missions. Three large volumes if his work remain at the mission alone. Much of the music is on parchment, and in bold, clear characters.
The chapel of San Juan Bautista could accomodate one thousand or more worshippers, and in prosperous days the capacity was frequently taxed to its fullest. The mission possessed extensive lands and great herds. Between the years 1797 and 1835, 4,100 persons were baptized. When the crash of secularization came, the inventory showed a valuation of $147,413. In 1846, San Juan was sold for debt. There are many choice mementoes at San Juan church-ancient candlesticks of curious pattern, the old bass viol, the rude music stand, a violin past all music, the old organ, vestments, robes and sheet music, torn and faded, but dear to the devout and interesting to the historian. Today it is an impoverished parish church-but nevertheless one of the most interesting and artisic relics of the mission period.