The Mission of Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción del Socorro was founded in 1682 by the Franciscans, but the present church was built in 1843, after the original church was destroyed by floods in 1829. By the late 1970s, after years of continuous use, the building was crumbling.

Eugene George was commissioned to undertake a research and restoration study by the Texas Historical Commission and local groups in El Paso. He found that one of the most significant causes of the church’s deterioration was the application of cement plaster, which did not allow the walls to “breathe” and give off moisture the way the original adobe plaster did. George advised stabilization of the roof, re-plastering of the walls, and control of the moisture which threatened the building’s fabric.

Working with an archaeologist, George provided a detailed chronology of the site, and went on to provide recommendations for how restoration work should be carried out. Interestingly, one of his primary recommendations was the establishment of an archive. “A local archival collection should be initiated with focus on the mission heritage of the El Paso region. … The main function would be that of continuing the chronology established in this report.” George goes on to comment, “To reestablish the church safely in its proper context, investigations should be made using archaeological techniques and physical on-site architectural analysis – both combined with an in-depth program of historic documentary research.” George’s detailed specifications for carrying out the work included techniques and materials with roots in his own work with archives and architectural records.

George’s plan was not put into action in the 1980s. Local officials decided to apply another coat of cement plaster to the church walls instead of beginning the lengthy restoration process. Another restoration study was undertaken in 1998, and it was not until 2001 that historically appropriate recommendations like those prescribed in George’s report were carried out on the Mission.