Overview
Mission San José is a Spanish mission founded in what is now Fremont. Its reconstructed adobe church and museum are open to visitors.
History
Father Fermín Lasuén founded the mission on June 11, 1797, at the Ohlone village of Oroysom, as the 14th of California's 21 missions. Its adobe church, dedicated in 1809, was destroyed by an earthquake on the Hayward Fault in 1868. A careful reconstruction built between 1982 and 1985 recreates the church as it looked in the 1830s.
Today
The mission is an active parish and a museum of early California history.
Sources
- Saint Joseph Parish: Mission historysaintjosephmsj.org
- California Missions Foundationcaliforniamissionsfoundation.org
Facts checked against the sources above in October 2026. History is summarized for general interest; check primary sources for research. This landmark is local context, not an employer or job listing.