Mission San José, Spanish colonial mission in San Antonio, US.

Mission San José is a Spanish colonial mission station in San Antonio with preserved limestone buildings arranged in a walled compound. The structures include a church, residential quarters, a granary, and a mill that served the community's spiritual and practical needs.

Founded on February 23, 1720, by Father Antonio Margil with permission from the Marquis of San Miguel de Aguayo, the mission relieved overcrowding at Mission San Antonio de Valero and served the Coahuiltecan people. Brush, straw and mud buildings gave way to stone structures and a wall holding rooms for 350 Natives. The limestone church was built in 1768; lands passed to the Natives in 1794 and mission activity ended in 1824. Afterward soldiers, the homeless and bandits occupied the buildings, until CWA and WPA crews rebuilt the walls, Indian quarters and granary from 1933.

The mission's name honors José de Azlor y Virto de Vera, Marquis of San Miguel de Aguayo, the governor who authorized its founding. It served the Coahuiltecan peoples, and the church facade carries a vertical program of figures: a cross, Saint Joseph with the infant Jesus, Saints Dominic and Francis, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Saints Joachim and Anne with the infant Mary. The Rose Window, carved in 1775, is the subject of a folklore tale about the sculptor Pedro Huizar and his lost love Rosa.

Visitors can explore the grounds on foot, as the site is easy to navigate with pathways connecting the various buildings. Guided tours are available and provide additional insights into the individual structures and their purposes.

The Rose Window sits on the south wall of the sacristy and was carved in 1775, an example of Baroque architecture in America. Its sculptor is unknown; folklore names Pedro Huizar, who is said to have dedicated it to Rosa, his sweetheart, lost at sea on her way from Spain to join him.