Now restored to a close approximation of its original appearance, the 1809 church is distinguished by its stone-and-brick construction, arched side entry and tiered bell tower topped by a striped dome. A Moorish decoration crowns the side doors, which are reproductions carved with the river-of-life motif. Inside, the Romanesque reredos, painted to resemble marble, was made in Mexico City and shipped to the mission for the church's dedication. Padre Junípero Serra set the ninth mission (the last one he established before his death in 1784) at the foot of Sulphur Mountain overlooking the Pacific, a site halfway between San Diego and Carmel. More than 1,300 neophytes lived at the mission during its peak years, and it became renowned for its horticulture. Six decades after secularization, an overzealous pastor whitewashed the beautiful paintings that once adorned the interior walls (vestiges of these paintings remain in the Serra Chapel), but efforts begun in 1956 led to their restoration. A single-room museum displays a variety of religious relics, including vestments, the original side doors of the church and the only wooden bells used in any of the 21 missions.