When John C. Fremont led an American military force into California in 1847 , he occupied the Convento and used it as a base of operations . Between 1857 and 1861 , the Convento was used as a station for the Butterfield Stage Line between Los Angeles and San Francisco . The '' Los Angeles Times '' visited the Mission in 1883 and found it " rapidly going to decay . " The one building that was reported to be in fair shape was the Convento , which the '' Times '' described as follows : " The priest 's quarters is a large structure , about three hundred feet long by fifty wide , with a broad portico or porch , supported by brick pillars , and extending the whole length of the building . The rafters are rough poles , thatched over with wild cane , and over this is a roof of burnt tile . ... This large building is in a fair state of preservation , and is tenanted by several Spanish families . Some carpenters ( Spanish ) are fitting up one end of the place for a Catholic church ... " For most of the last half of the 19th Century , the Convento was left to decay . In 1896 , the Landmarks Club ( led by Charles Fletcher Lummis ) signed a ten-year lease on the Mission , planning to restore it . A celebration attended by 500 people was held on the Mission 's centennial in 1897 . The '' Times '' reported at that time that the " old convent " building , " being strongly built , " had " withstood more successfully the ravages of time . " The '' Times '' report continued : " The convent itself is in fairly good repair . The building is long by 60 deep , and is entered by doors from the corridor that runs its whole length . The tiled roof is nearly intact , and the window gratings and heavy doors are still strong enough to defy hostile entry . The floor of the corridor is simply the packed earth that has been trodden by thousands of feet , and its outer wall is pierced by a succession of low arches , in the familiar style of mission architecture . " In 1963 , the church undertook a restoration of the Convento , including removal of the roof , waterproofing of the structure , and replacement of the beams and original tile . During the 1963 restoration , workers found the old beams " firmly tied with strips of tough rawhide , revealing the craftsmanship of the Shoshone Indians who worked on the landmark in the early 1800s . " In February 1971 , the Mission sustained major damage from the 1971 San Fernando earthquake . The Mission 's chapel was completely destroyed , and a massive fireplace in the center of the Convento shook loose and cracked several interior walls . Though the chapel was beyond repair , the Convento was restored in 1973 , making it the only original building remaining from the original mission . As part of the repair process , the Convento was also reinforced , replastered , and painted inside and out . As the only original building remaining at the Mission San Fernando , the Convento was singled out in 1988 for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places
1971 San Fernando earthquake
1971 San Fernando earthquake
Convento Building (Mission San Fernando)