The isolated Misión San Francisco de Borja, Mexico can be reached by a dirt road. Only one family lives there and looks after the church. The members of the family are always there to give you a tour.
Starting in 1759, the Jesuits along with local Indians erected the small adobe temple. However, it has not last for long. Only fragments of the walls stand to this day. The Dominicans that came later build out of stone. They erected a new mission, next to the Jesuits buildings. Completed in 1801, we can see these buildings today. I must admit that it is quite remarkable that they still stand in excellent condition. Probably due to the remote location, there was nobody who was interested in tearing down the walls and stealing stone to raise private houses. Unfortunately, this is a typical fate of such properties when they become abandoned. In 1818, this was the fate of San Borja when all missionaries left the place as the native population in this part of the Baja California peninsula ceased to exist. The mission not only lost its sense of existence, but also the workforce to support it.
