Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Río Carmelo: Fires & Earthquakes

Yes—Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo (Carmel Mission) suffered repeated devastation:

• Major fires: 1771, 1785, 1797—severely damaged buildings, church, archives.
• Major earthquakes: 1786, 1800, 1812, 1838—collapsed the church dome, cracked walls, toppled bell towers.

Each disaster prompted rebuilding, leaving the mission with layers of reconstruction history still visible today.