Cemetery

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This cemetery houses many types of burials including individual above ground vaults, trench and charnel house system, family mausoleums, large group mausoleum and in-ground burials both marked and unmarked. Facing the door that you just exited you will see skull and crossbones over the top of the door. This is the signage of “Campos Santos” the tradition brought from Spain as individual grave markers were not used at that time. In 1967 the local Chumash requested the removal of the skull and crossbones as they thought them to be of their ancestors and wished them to have proper burial. Father Cordano Virgil, then guardian of the Mission, had them removed and returned to the tribe for burial. They were replaced with reproductions.

On the wall of the East bell tower is a plaque honoring Juana Maria or The Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island. Her community numbered around 300 and resided on San Nicholas Island, the most distant of the Channel Islands. In 1811 Russian sea otter hunters landed and massacred her people leaving by some accounts 20 or so and by other accounts only 6 or 7 women and an old man named Black Hawk. A ship was sent to remove the remaining Nicoleños, but one woman did not board the ship and remained on the island. Many details of her story are unknown, but recent research has helped to shed new light on this part of history. You can find more information in the Lone Woman exhibit room near the Sacred Garden. An exhibit room dedicated to her is accessed by the next door down from the Museum entrance.