Junípero Serra Statue Removed from Highway 280 Rest Stop, Reigniting Debate Over Missionary’s Legacy

For nearly 50 years, a towering statue of Father Junípero Serra stood above Interstate 280 in Hillsborough, serving as a familiar landmark for commuters and travelers passing through San Mateo County. But this summer, the California Department of Transportation quietly removed the 26-foot monument, igniting fresh debate over the missionary’s complicated place in state history.

The statue, designed by artist Louis Dubois and installed in 1975 near the Crystal Springs Rest Area, was taken down in August with little public notice. Caltrans later confirmed the removal, citing that the structure no longer met requirements under the state’s Transportation Art Program and had become too fragile to move safely.

Patricia Gonzalez, who manages the rest stop, said crews closed the area for about a week before reopening it without the statue. “As a kid, I remember passing the statue and knowing, ‘Okay, we’re almost there,’” she recalled. “People still come every day to see it. It’s sad.”

Caltrans describes its Transportation Art Program as an initiative that installs artwork reflecting California communities’ “unique aesthetic, environmental, scenic, historical, and cultural values.”

Serra, an 18th-century Spanish missionary canonized by Pope Francis in 2015, founded nine of California’s 21 missions. To supporters, he symbolizes faith and the state’s early heritage. To critics, however, he represents a period of colonization and the suppression of Indigenous peoples.

Greg Castro, a cultural leader with the Association of Ohlone Tribes, supported the removal, arguing that such monuments overlook the suffering of Native communities. “One of the responses we get is that we’re trying to erase history,” he said. “The statue itself erases history—it ignores the harm that was done.”

San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone criticized the move, saying Caltrans made the decision without consulting religious leaders. “Would we expect this treatment if it happened to be associated with another religious organization? I think not,” Cordileone said in a statement.

The hillside where the statue once stood now sits empty, a visible reminder of California’s ongoing debate over how to memorialize its past. Caltrans confirmed there are no plans to rebuild or replace the monument.

Credit: CNN Newsource

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