Self-Guided Tour - Storeroom

Icon of ceramic pot

Quick Facts

Location:

Tumacácori mission grounds

The storeroom’s two-story structure was the tallest part of the convento complex. Its wide staircase led to an upper level which was supported by heavy pine beams, hauled from the heights of the Santa Rita Mountains. The large beams were, in turn, supported by two thick adobe piers. On the right side of the doorway are depressions where large clay jars filled with seed and grain were stored for next season’s crops.  

The storeroom’s surpluses and deficits were the measure of success or failure of the mission. A well-stocked storeroom allowed the purchase of clothing or other resources. Empty shelves signaled stress. 

The storeroom also embodied the community’s new European-style corporate hierarchy and contrasted with the O’odham’s consensus-based government. Harvested food would be collected here and then distributed on a weekly basis. However, the gatekeeper to the storeroom could withhold access, making food contingent on following the mission’s rules.