[4] The San Estévan del Rey Mission Church stands at the northern end of the large plaza that takes up the southern end of the mesa top that houses Sky City, the traditional Acoma pueblo settlement that has been continuously occupied since prehistoric times.

The roof masonry, about six inches of adobe weighing several tons, is supported by large ponderosa pine vigas over which roughly-hewn wooden planks are laid.

[3] Adjacent to the church is a cemetery surrounded by a low wall with openings facing west, providing an opportunity for ancestors to return to find rest.

Materials for the construction were hauled up the steep trails on the sides of the mesa, and the viga beams were transported some 40 miles (64 km) from Mount Taylor, the nearest source for such timbers.

During the 1680 Pueblo Revolt, the Acoma killed the local priest, but the church survived the uprising, and the Spanish return to power in 1692.