Mission Santa Barbara's name comes from the legend of Saint Barbara, a girl who was beheaded by her father for following the Christian Faith. The early missionaries built three different chapels during the first few years, each larger than the previous one. After the significant damage from the Santa Barbara earthquake on December 21, 1812, construction on the current Mission was began. It was completed and dedicated in 1820. The towers were considerably damaged in the June 29, 1925 earthquake, but were subsequently rebuilt by 1927. The appearance of the inside of the church has not been altered significantly since 1820.