Ruins of the mission compound and church at Mission San Cayetano de Calabazas. |
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| Location | near Tumacácori, Arizona |
|---|---|
| Name as founded | La Misión de San Cayetano de Calabazas |
| English translation | The Mission of Saint Cajetan of the Gourds |
| Patron | Saint Cajetan |
| Founding date | 1756 |
| Founding priest(s) | Father Francisco Xavier Pauer |
| Native tribe(s) Spanish name(s) |
Pima |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Current use | Historical Monument |
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San Cayetano de Calabazas
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| Nearest city: | Nogales, Arizona |
|---|---|
| Built: | 1756 |
| Architect: | Unknown |
| Architectural style: | No Style Listed |
| Governing body: | Private |
| NRHP Reference#: | 71000118 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP: | June 3, 1971[1] |
| Designated NHL: | December 14, 1990[2] |
Mission San Cayetano de Calabazas, also known as Calabasas, was founded by Jesuit missionary Father Francisco Xavier Pauer in 1756 when he relocated at least seventy-eight Pima Indians to the site from their village of Toacuquita in what is now Arizona, near Tumacácori. The church, houses and the granary were set ablaze during an Apache attack in 1777; the Mission was abandoned in 1786 due to continuing problems with the natives. Between 1807 and 1830 the settlement was used as an estancia (farm) for Mission San José de Tumacácori. In 1808, European settlers moved into Calabazas and restored the chapel. In response, the Apaches again attacked, setting fire to the buildings and carrying off sacred vessels and vestments in the process. The property was sold to Governor Manuel Gándara of Sonora in 1808. In 1837, the Mexicans built Presidio de Calabasas to protect the mission. Subsequent to the Gadsden Purchase, the ranch house (the old Jesuit church) served a number of purposes: customs house, post office, and dwelling. Fort Mason was established at Calabazas in 1864 by the California Volunteers; 300 of the 400 men fell ill with malaria, however, and so the Fort was later abandoned. Mission Calabazas was completely abandoned by 1878, with only a roofless shell remaining.
Father Norman Whalen recruited preservation volunteers who capped the walls and placed a concrete foundation in 1960. The Arizona Historical Society took over site management and ownership in October 1974; the Mission was incorporated into Tumacácori National Historical Park in 1990. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1990.[2],[3],[4]
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