San Elceario Catholic Church

Located in the city of San Elizario, the Church of San Elceario was founded by the Spanish in 1789 as a presidio or fort for Mexican troops stationed in the Mission Valley. U.S. troops were assigned to the presidio in 1850 and during the Civil War volunteers from California were stationed there to prevent a reoccupation of the area by Confederate forces. The present Church of San Elceario was constructed in 1877 to replace the original chapel that had been destroyed by a flood. The one-story chapel is built in the traditional Spanish Mission style.