Browse next article 

Mission San Jose Church located at 6701 San Jose Dr, San Antonio, TX 78214 is a historic Latter-day Saint chapel built in 1839 as the first Mormon settlement in Texas. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Today, the church is used for Sunday services but is still open to visitors for tours and photography. Let’s find out more about this historical place!

The History of Mission San Jose Church in San Antonio, TX
In 1832, the First Baptist Church in Columbia, South Carolina consecrated approximately 130 acres of land as a settlement site for the Church of Christ, which would later become the Latter-day Saint Church. However, this settlement did not last long as the Church was expelled from the area after less than one year. In 1834, a group of Mormons left the Church and settled in what would become Nauvoo, Illinois. In 1839, after the Saints were kicked out of Nauvoo, the Mormons left Missouri and settled near the Colorado River in what is now the state of Texas. They settled at the town of San Antonio de Béxar, where they built a chapel on site of the Alamo Mission. This was the first permanent Mormon settlement in Texas. The chapel was constructed in 1839 as a temporary building to serve as a worship center until a permanent structure could be built. The present Mission San Jose Church building was constructed between 1841 and 1844. The first religious services were held in San Antonio de Béxar on June 7, 1840, with the dedication ceremony on November 11, 1844.

Visit Mission San Jose Church in San Antonio, TX
The Mission San Jose Church in San Antonio, TX is open to visitors for guided tours and photography. The church is located at 1004 West Saint Mary’s Street, San Antonio, TX 78205, and it is open from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM on Sunday. There is no admission fee. You can reach the church by foot from downtown San Antonio, or you can reach the church by car from Interstate 35, Interstate 10, and U.S. Highway 281. The church is close to the San Antonio Zoo and the San Antonio Botanical Gardens. You can also reach the San Antonio Museum of Art and the San Antonio Museum of Natural History by foot from the church.

What to See at Mission San Jose Church in San Antonio, TX
The inside of the Mission San Jose Church in San Antonio, TX is filled with historical artifacts that tell the story of the church. You can see the original baptismal font, the stone where John C. Bennett was excommunicated, a sample of the original pews, and paintings depicting the early missionary journeys of the Mormon Church. Inside the chapel, there are original pulpit and pews, a folding organ, the baptismal font, and a baptismal font replica. There is also a baptismal font replica outside the church, which is a replica of the font inside the church. The baptismal font is made of marble and is approximately seven feet tall, five feet wide, and three feet deep. The baptismal font inside the church held approximately five gallons of water. The baptismal font in this chapel is made of wood and is approximately eight feet long and five feet wide.

Conclusion
Mission San Jose Church in San Antonio, TX is a historic Latter-day Saint chapel built in 1839 as the first Mormon settlement in Texas. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Today, the church is used for Sunday services but is still open to visitors for tours and photography.