Governor Martín de Alarcón established the mission in 1718 and entrusted it to Father Antonio de San Buenaventura y Olivares. It moved to its present site in 1724 after a hurricane. Stones for a permanent church were laid in 1744, it collapsed in the late 1750s, and rebuilding began in 1758. The article names no architect.
The limestone chapel was cruciform and was designed to have three stories, a dome and two bell towers, but only two levels were completed. Its walls are about 4 feet (1.2 m) thick. The article calls it one of the finest examples of Spanish ecclesiastical building in North America.
Mexican forces under Santa Anna besieged the compound for 13 days from February 23, 1836, and the final assault on March 6 killed the Texian defenders. The U.S. Army later added a wooden roof and the bell-shaped facade. UNESCO listed the site in 2015.
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