St George's Episcopal Mission(1890)
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St George's Episcopal Mission was built by the Whitings and Keatings in 1891 to serve the residents of the planned Los Alisos City, later renamed El Toro. It is called a mission rather than a
church because it did not have a full-time vicar and was not a self-sustaining operation. Vicars from Orange, Tustin, and other area communities would travel to El Toro to hold services.
The original floorplan was just a simple rectangular building. The vestry and chancel (altar area) were added by the Keatings in 1897 with the choir area added later that year. The final plan
gives the building the shape of a latin cross when viewed from above.
The pews were not acquired until 1955. Before that time the congregation sat on chairs with book bags for the hymnals and prayer books. Movable kneelers were also used. The advantage to using
chairs is that they could be easily rearranged to allow the hall to be used for other community events as desired.
Captain Huddy, a south seas trader and active member of the mission, donated lamps from his ship and a large shell to be used as a baptismal font. The original shell has been replaced with a smaller
one but the original lamps, updated for electricity, are still hung throughout the building.
In 1976 the old Mission was acquired by the Saddleback Historical Society and moved to the Heritage Hill site where it is available for weddings and other private functions.
In 1976 the old Mission was acquired by the Saddleback Historical Society and moved to the Heritage Hill site where it is available for weddings and other private functions.
