The Mission Buildings
Various old descriptions and drawings of Tumacacori show the buildings to have been arranged with the long axis of the church running north and south. To the east was a closed courtyard, surrounded by arcades and rooms; here were the quarters of the priests, storerooms, workshops, granaries, and classrooms.
North of the church is the cemetery where many Christian Indians are buried. An unfinished circular mortuary chapel dominates this area. After abandonment, the cemetery was often used as a corral. Grave mounds of the mission period have long since been destroyed by weather, milling cattle, and treasure hunters. Today, the visible grave mounds are those of later Mexican-American burials.
The monument patio
The church still stands, although the courtyard structures long ago fell almost entirely into ruin. In 1921, some repair work was done to the old buildings and walls to protect them against weather, a new roof was placed over the long nave, and lesser repairs were made to other parts. Repair work since that date has been limited entirely to preserving existing original construction.
Today, you may examine in great detail the features of this stately old building, seeing the many interesting structural elements of the baroque architecture and the faded but original colors which the Indian workmen applied. The unfinished bell tower of burned brick speaks eloquently of how the last Franciscans tried in vain to complete the church.