The San Francisco de Asis Mission Church is an adobe structure constructed around 1772 and finished in 1816 by Franciscan priests. Adobe is the typical building material used by early Spanish missionaries in New Mexico. Saint Francis of Assisi is the church?s known patron saint. In 1970, it was designated as a National Historic Landmark and a World Heritage Site. Its location, the Saint Francis Plaza in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico is a historic district also.

The Spanish church building was built with two identical bell towers and an arched entryway that opens to a courtyard. It is very popular among photographers and artists, some of which are Georgia O?Keefe, Paul Strand and Ansel Adams. Today, the church is considered as a working parish.