Construction on the church began around 1772 and was completed in 1815 by Franciscan Fathers; its patron is Saint Francis of Assisi. It's located a few miles south of the Taos Pueblo, and made of adobe as are many of the Spanish missions in New Mexico. It was the subject of several paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe and photographs by Ansel Adams and Paul Strand, and designated as a World Heritage church.