There were three buttresses, _from which_ sprang the roof arches.

The curves of the walls were made by increasing the thickness at the top, as can be seen from the window spaces on each side, which still remain in their original condition.

The building is about one hundred and fifty feet long by thirty feet wide.
In 1868 Rev.Angelo D.Cassanova became the pastor of the parish church at Monterey, and though Serra's home Mission was then a complete mass of ruins, he determined upon its preservation, at least from further demolition.

The first step was to clear away the debris that had accumulated since its abandonment, and then to locate the graves of the missionaries.

On July 3, 1882, after due notice in the San Francisco papers, over four hundred people assembled at San Carlos, the stone slab was removed, and the bodies duly identified.
The discovery of the bodies of Serra, Crespi, Lopez, and Lasuen aroused some sentiment and interest in Father Cassanova's plan of restoration; and sufficient aid came to enable him properly to restore and roof the building.