Fifth and Final Adobe Church of Mission Santa Clara, c. 1854

This image is the earliest known image of Mission Santa Clara, circa 1854. The mission cross stands in the front of the church; to the left is the east wing of the mission quadrangle. The bell tower has been encased in wood to prevent erosion of the adobe. The frescoed images on the façade include St. Clare, St. Francis, and St. John the Baptist. The original image is a daguerreotype. ""This image was taken before the Jesuit Fathers put a small, round clock in the upper center of square wooden tower."