Mission records show that there were over 1500 neophytes living at the Mission and that there were over 250 adobe houses.
The first adobe Church was finished in 1789. In 1794 a larger adobe church was built. In 1806 a water system was added to bring water to the Mission. A series of large earthquakes struck the Southern California area in 1812 and severely damaged the Mission. In 1815 the Fathers decided to build a larger church and modeled it after a book of instructions that they had on how to build a roman temple. The Church was finished in 1820 but suffered another earthquake in 1925. The Church as Mission Santa Barbara is made of stone instead of adobe; only three Mission churches were made that way. Mission San Carlos and Mission San Juan Capistrano were also built of stone. Mission Santa Barbara’s construction is unique and it is the only Mission to have two identical bell towers on either corner of the Mission Church.
Those that lived at the Mission went by a strict schedule. The Fathers were used to this type of lifestyle, but the neophytes were not. The structure of Mission life was one of the reasons many Native Californians tried to leave. A French explorer, Jean Fran�ois de La P�rouse, visited Mission San Carlos is 1786 and wrote a detailed account of what he observed. Events at the Mission were signaled by the ringing of the Mission bells. Each day started around sunrise (about 6am). The Mission bells would ring to wake everyone and summon them to Mass and morning prayers. Prayer lasted for about an hour and then everyone would go to breakfast. Atole, a type of soup made from barley and other grains, would be served. Breakfast took about 45 minutes and then it was time for everyone to go to work.
The Fathers were responsible for running the Mission and instructing the new converts and children in the Catholic faith. Most of the men went to the fields to tend to the crops or to help with the animals while women stayed at the Mission and worked on domestic chores such as weaving cloth and making clothes, boiling down fat to make soap and candles, and tending to the vegetable gardens. Children often helped at these chores around the Mission once their religious instruction was over. Depending on the particular industry at the Mission there also might be neophytes leatherworking, metalworking, wine making, and pressing olives for olive oil.
At noon the bells would ring again for everyone to gather for dinner, what we would call lunch. Lunch was normally pozole, another thick soup with beans and peas. After an afternoon break everyone returned to their work for another two to four hours depending on how much work there was to be done. A last bell would be rung to end the work day. Another serving of Atole would be served and the neophytes would be able to rest until it was time for bed (Margolin, Pg. 85). Women were usually expected to go to bed by 8pm and men by 9pm. Most of the Fathers allowed their neophytes to continue to hunt and gather additional foods and to cook some of their traditional dishes.
Living at the Mission was often difficult for new converts. They were used to working when work needed to be done and resting when they were tired. The Mission lifestyle was different. The Neophytes were the main source of labor for the Missions. It was their hard work along with the soldiers’ and Fathers’ that built the Missions and their outbuildings. Agriculture and ranching required constant tending to the crops and animals. Without this labor the Missions would not have been able to survive. Many neophytes missed the freedom of their tribal life and would try to leave the Mission. The Fathers wouldn’t allow neophytes to leave and would send soldiers to search for them and bring them back. Runaways were usually punished for breaking the rules.
Living at Mission Santa Barbara provided the opportunity for shelter and access to a consistent food source. The neophytes were given new clothes twice a year and they were allowed to continue hunting and gathering to add to the food at the Mission. The Mission flourished and records show that they had planted 6000 grapevines and 100 fruit trees. They also planted corn and wheat and raised sheep. The wool from the sheep was important because the Mission could sell extra cloth that the neophytes had made for items that the Mission could not produce.
The Mission was the site of a Native rebellion in February 1824. The unrest spread to other missions but was ended quickly once the soldiers were called. Many natives returned to the missions simply because they had no where else to go.