Inside Mision San Francisco de Assisi. The system of California missions was created by the Located off of the original route of El Camino Real - the Royal Road - the chapel was constructed by native Ohlone people, many of whom were buried on-site. Known locally as Mission Dolores, the chapel's colloquial name comes from a since-dried up river that once ran down 16th Street, Arroyo de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores.
The reredos (the gold wall behind the altar) clashes violently against the hand-painted ceiling. While it's been restored over the years, the design and colors are original. The pattern itself is supposedly of Ohlone origin.
Beyond the Mission is a small cemetery where prominent San Franciscans were once laid to rest. A small Ohlone hut and a memorial to "loyal" natives feature prominently among the sea of graves. Completed in 1918, Mission Dolores Basilica was built next to the Mission on the corner of 16th and Dolores.
Mission Dolores is the oldest standing structure in San Francisco, founded in June of 1776. The Presidio, a Spanish military base, was established near the SF Bay the same year to protect Dolores. Its single wall, now part of another building, is the only other original Spanish structure in the city.
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