Tumacácori National Historical Park

Tumacácori National Historical Park is located in the upper Santa Cruz River Valley in Santa Cruz County, southern Arizona. The park consists of 360 acres (1.5 km2) in three separate units.[4] The park protects the ruins of three Spanish mission communities, two of which are National Historic Landmark sites. It also contains the landmark 1937 Tumacácori Museum building, also a National Historic Landmark.

Tumacácori National Historical Park
Mission San José de Tumacácori
Map showing the location of Tumacácori National Historical Park
Map showing the location of Tumacácori National Historical Park
Map showing the location of Tumacácori National Historical Park
Map showing the location of Tumacácori National Historical Park
LocationSanta Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Nearest cityNogales, Arizona
Coordinates31°34′05″N 111°03′02″W / 31.5681465°N 111.0506458°W / 31.5681465; -111.0506458[1]
Area360 acres (150 ha)[2]
EstablishedAugust 6, 1990
Visitors40,810 (in 2018)[3]
Governing bodyNational Park Service
WebsiteTumacácori National Historical Park

History

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Restoration efforts have brought buildings closer to their original appearance

The first Spanish Colonial Jesuit missions in the locale were established in 1691 by Padre Eusebio Kino. Mission San Cayetano de Tumacácori (at Tumacácori) and Mission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi, are the two oldest missions in southern Arizona. The Franciscan church of Mission San José de Tumacácori, across the river from and replacing Mission San Cayetano de Tumacácori, was built in the 1750s. The third mission was established in 1756, Mission San Cayetano de Calabazas.

The Mission San José de Tumacácori complex is open to the public. Nearby are the park's visitor center and the Tumacácori Museum in a historic Mission Revival style building. The Guevavi and Calabazas missions are not open to the general public, but can be visited on reserved tours led by park staff.

The Tumacácori missions complex was originally protected as Tumacácori National Monument, in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt.[5] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. In 1990 the national monument was redesignated a National Historical Park. The Guevavi and Calabazas mission units were added to the Tumacácori missions complex unit, within the new Tumacácori National Historical Park.

The site was on the route of the 1775–1776 Juan Bautista de Anza Expedition from New Spain to Alta California, the first Spanish overland expedition to claimed but un-colonized upper Las Californias territory. A 4.5 miles (7.2 km) segment of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail lies along the Santa Cruz River between Tumacácori National Historical Park and Tubac Presidio State Historic Park.

 
Mission San José de Tumacácori.

Mission San José de Tumacácori

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Mission San José de Tumacácori was established in 1691 by Jesuit padre Eusebio Kino in a different nearby location. It was established one day before Mission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi, making it the oldest Jesuit mission site in southern Arizona. The first mission was named Mission San Cayetano de Tumacácori, established at an existing native O'odham or Sobaipuri settlement on the east side of the Santa Cruz River.

After the Pima rebellion of 1751, the mission was moved to the present site on the west side of the Santa Cruz River and renamed San José de Tumacácori.[6] By 1848, the mission was abandoned and began falling into severe disrepair. In 1854 it became a part of the U.S. Arizona Territory, after the Gadsden Purchase.

Restoration and stabilization efforts began in 1908 when the site was declared Tumacácori National Monument by President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1990 it became part of the new Tumacácori National Historical Park.[6]

Tumacácori Museum

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Tumacácori Museum
 
Tumacácori Museum building
LocationTumacácori National Monument (Tumacácori National Historical Park), Tumacacori, Arizona
Built1937
ArchitectScofield DeLong, et al
Architectural styleMission Revival style architecture, with Spanish Colonial Revival
NRHP reference No.87001437
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMay 28, 1987[7]
Designated NHLMay 28, 1987[8]
 
Folklórico dancers performing at Tumacácori's annual Fiesta

Tumacácori Museum was built in 1937 within what was then Tumacácori National Monument and is now Tumacácori National Historical Park. Designed by Scofield Delong, it contains interpretative displays relating to three historic missions preserved within the park,[9] and includes artwork created by artist Herbert A. Collins.[10]

The museum building, a fine example of Mission Revival style architecture, with Spanish Colonial Revival details, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.[8][11][12][13]

Cinema

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Movies with scenes filmed in the park include:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Tumacacori National Historical Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  2. ^ "Listing of acreage – December 31, 2010" (XLSX). Land Resource Division, National Park Service. Retrieved August 15, 2011. (National Park Service Acreage Reports)
  3. ^ "NPS Annual Recreation Visits Report". National Park Service. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  4. ^ "Tumacácori National Historical Park". National Park Service. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
  5. ^ "Tumacácori: Park Profile 2008" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  6. ^ a b "San José de Tumacácori – Tumacácori National Historical Parks". www.nps.gov.
  7. ^ "Tumacacori Museum". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  8. ^ a b "Tumacácori Museum". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service.
  9. ^ "Tumacacori Museum". National Park Service.
  10. ^ "Tumacácori Dioramas". National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 19, 2005.
  11. ^ Laura Soullière Harrison (1986). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory–Nomination: Tumacacori Museum". National Park Service.
  12. ^ "Accompanying 35 photos by Laura Soullière Harrison, exterior and interior, from 1985". National Park Service.
  13. ^ ""Architecture in the Parks: A National Historic Landmark Theme Study: Tumacacori Museum", by Laura Soullière Harrison". National Historic Landmark Theme Study. National Park Service. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
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