San Francisco de Asís Mission Church in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico, stood at the center of a fortified plaza and served as the heart of a small Spanish and Native American farming community during the 18th century. Begun around 1772 and completed in 1815 or 1816 by the Franciscan order, it is one of the best-known examples of New Mexico Spanish Colonial church architecture. Its cruciform adobe design, twin bell towers, and distinctive curved buttresses made it architecturally notable, while later restorations and annual community replastering helped preserve it. The church also became a celebrated subject in American art and photography and remains an active place of worship.