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 | Tumacacori National Historical Park Things To Do | Tips 1 - 10 of 35 |  |
Popular Things To Do | Miscellaneous Things To Do Tips | All Tips (35) Lime plaster was used at Tumacacori to protect the adobe from moisture. Tons of raw material (limestone boulders) had to be brought to the mission for processing so that a coat of plaster, often more than two inches thick, could be applied to the walls. Like the timbers in the roof, limestone had to be transported some thirty miles from the Santa Rita Mountains to the east. This was most likely accomplished by means of ox carts, traveling through some thirty miles of the most dangerous Apache country in teh world.
Once on site, the limestone was loaded onto a heavy metal grate that rested on a shelf about halfway way down the wall of the kiln. Fire was placed underneath the grate and the rocks were "cooked" until they began to swell and break open. At that point they could be readily hammered into a poweder. The powder was then "slaked" by putting it in water for a day or two. Once th powder was "hydrated," it was made into a paste, sand was added to make plaster, and it was spread onto the walls to dry. Though course and lumpy by today's standards, it was (and is) the best protection possible for sun-dried adobe. Leave a Comment Address: 1891 E. Frontage Rd., Tumacacori, AZ 85640Phone: 1-520-457-3311Website: www.nps.gov/tuma
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My favorite spot at Tumacacori was the garden. It is a carefully engineered replica of Spanish mission gardens everywhere. Gardens as this one were an important component of the mission courtyard, providing a place for quiet reflection around a simple fountain. Other than the section of native plants of the Sonoran Desert, the vegetation growing here represents plants introduced to this area by the Padres. There are many herb specimens, such as rosemary, thyme, and myrtle. Fruit trees include apricot, olive, pomgranate, and monk's pepper. These trees were all introduced by the National Park Service when the garden was built in 1937 as part of the visitor center. However, next to the east wall, is a fig tree that is a descendant of one of the original figs trees first brought to Tumacacori by Father Kino. Leave a Comment Address: 1891 E. Frontage Rd., Tumacacori, AZ 85640Phone: 1-520-457-3311wWebsite: www.nps.gov/tuma
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The facade of the church was rendered in bright colors to appeal to the Indians, with yellow tending toward pink. Today, under the cornice below the window, some of the original color is still visible. The half circle of the espadana, or pediment, is a careful reconstruction.
The columns were painted red, the capitals yellow with black markings. These seem to immitations of Egyptian style capitals, introduced into Spain by the Moors and copied here from some Spanish building by the person who designed the facade.
The statue niches, a Roman introduction, were painted blue. The two niches beside the window are Moorish because of their pointed arches. The little corbels or shelves at the base of the niches brought the statues forward so they might be seen from a wider angle. The tower section was treated as an individual unit of a complete whole. It gives the appearance of strength and dignity. The lower part was left plain. Leave a Comment Address: 1891 E. Frontage Rd., Tumacacori, AZ 85640Phone: 1-520-398-2341Website: www.nps.gov/tuma
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Next to the cemetery is the granary, where foodstuffs were stored and distributed to the village people. Prior to the coming of the Spanish, the O'odham diet consisted of squash, beans, corn, small game, and wild plants. The Spanish brought sheep, goats, and cattle, adding protein to the diet. They also brought wheat which could be grown in winter, as well as fruit trees, such as apricot, fig, apple, and pomegranate, providing a pleasing variety to the limited native diet.
The stairs led to a loft where extra food and animal fodder were stored when the granary was in use. The food was kept in baskets and clay pots for later distribution. The mission was a communal system of growing, collecting and distributing. Fleshy fruits, meat and grains were all dried in the hot desert sun before storing for use during the non-growing season. Leave a Comment Address: 1891 E. Frontage Rd., Tumacacori, AZ 85640Phone: 1-520-398-2341Website: www.nps.gov/tuma
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The ruin which once constituted the convento, or priests' quarters, has seen much usage, both during the mission era and afterwards. After abandonment, it was used as a residence by various people and was even used as a schoolhouse during the administration of the first resident superintendent at Tumacacori National Monument, later redesignated as a National Historic Site.
Probably the most extensive use the convento ever saw way when five priests stayed her for eight days, while waiting for the Anza Expedition to leave Tubac between Sunday, October 15, and Monday, October 23, 1775, as evidenced by the quote below:
"I stopped at the mission of Tumacacori, a league down the road from the presidio. Fathers Francisco Garces and Tomas Eixarch, who are to come on the expedition and remain on the Colorado River, were here. I remained with them and Fathers Pedro de Arrequibar and Felix de Gamarra during the days while the expedition was waiting at Tubac."
--Fr. Pedro Font, October 15, 1775 Leave a Comment Address: 1891 E. Frontage Rd., Tumacacori, AZ 85640Phone: 1-520-398-2341Website: www.nps.gov/tuma
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| | | | Tumacacori Visitor Center | Tip Rating: | | | | |
To better understand life on New Spain's far northern frontier, you may want to visit the museum and also view the 14-minute video in the Visitor Center. You will see dioramas, paintings, and artifacts which depict historic conditions of the southern Arizona area, where Spanish, English, Swiss, Austrian, German and Italian cultures came in contact with the native Americans. All of these cultures are richly represented throughout the books of mission baptisms, marriages , and deaths at Tumacacori.
In the Visitor Center you will also find restrooms and a gift shop which offers souvenirs, books, etc.
Hours:
Open daily 8 - 5
Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas days
Fee:
$3.00 for 7 days Leave a Comment Address: 1891 E. Frontage Rd., Tumacacori, AZ 85640Phone: 1-520-398-2341Directions: Just off I-19, 45 miles south of Tucson and 18 miles north of Nogales, which is on the Mexican border.Website: www.nps.gov/tuma
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| | | | The Church at Tumacacori | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Although the Tumacacori Mission was established in 1691, the first church was not built until 1751. At that time the community was moved to its present site on this side of the Santa Cruz River to be near the newly established Tubac Presidio. The present church was built by the Franciscans between 1800 and 1822.
Father Liberos, a peninsular-born Spaniard, was sent back to Spain in 1828, after Mexico gained independence, and Tumacacori never again had a resident priest. Although the O'odham Indians continued to live here for twenty more years, a hard winter, continuing Apache attacks, and the Mexican-American War forced the mission's abandonment in 1848. Leave a Comment Address: 1891 E. Frontage Rd., Tumacacori, AZ 85640Phone: 1-520-398-2341Website: www.nps.gov/tuma
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Tumacacori National Historic...
on January 24, 2005
