Mission Santa Clara de Asis was established in January 12, 1777 and it was founded by Father Junipero Serra. Mission Santa Clara is the 8th mission of 21 missions. Mission Santa Clara's location is 40 miles SE of San Francisco at the southern end of San Francisco Bay, near a stream called Rio de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe.

Santa Clara was established to help protect the San Francisco Bay area from the English and Russian and to expand the Spanish empire. Santa Clara was first discovered as land but then the Spanish continued and started the missions.

Mission Santa Clara is made out of adobe bricks and has over 10,000 roof tiles. Missions are mostly made out of adobe bricks and are painted white.

Mission Santa Clara is the most special mission. It is the only mission located in a University. Mission Santa Clara is also a Baptist church. In Spanish they would call it a Batista, that us how you say Baptist in Spanish. The 5th and most important church was built in 1825 of adobe bricks. It is 100 feet long, and 44 feet wide, with a 25 foot high tile roof.

Mission Santa Clara's style is simple architecture and was richly ornamented with paintings, both inside and out. Professional Artist Agustin Davila was brought from Mexico to design and oversee the painting. On the redwood slabs that formed the ceiling he depicted hosts of angels and saints.