Wayfarers Chapel

Last updated

Wayfarers Chapel
"The Glass Church"
Wayfarers.3.JPG
Wayfarers Chapel
Location5755 Palos Verdes Drive South
Rancho Palos Verdes, California
CountryUnited States
Denomination Swedenborgian
Website wayfarerschapel.org
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designation National Historic Landmark
Architect(s) Lloyd Wright
Style Modernist
Clergy
Minister(s) Rev. David Brown
(Director of Ministry)
Wayfarers Chapel
U.S. - Los Angeles Metropolitan Area location map.svg
Red pog.svg
USA California location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location5755 Palos Verdes Dr. S
Rancho Palos Verdes, California
Coordinates 33°44′37.1″N118°22′39.9″W / 33.743639°N 118.377750°W / 33.743639; -118.377750
Area3.528 acres (1.428 ha)
Built1951
NRHP reference No. 05000210 (NRHP listing),
100009801 (NHL designation)
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 11, 2005
Designated NHLDecember 11, 2023

Wayfarers Chapel, or "The Glass Church" was a chapel located in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. The chapel had unique organic architecture sited on a bluff above the Pacific Ocean. Affiliated with the Swedenborgian Church of North America, it serves as a memorial to the 18th-century scientist and theosopher Emanuel Swedenborg.

Contents

History

The 100-seat church was designed by Lloyd Wright (son of Frank Lloyd Wright) in the late 1940s and was built between 1949 and 1951, at a cost of $25,000. [1] Additions were built in later years, including a tower and a visitor center, the latter of which had been lost in a landslide during the 1960s. [2] Because of its scenic location, the church is popular for weddings. [3] In 1999, the chapel hosted 800 weddings. [1]

In February 2024, the chapel’s leadership announced "the closure of Wayfarers Chapel and its surrounding property due to the accelerated land movement in our local area". [4] The closure resulted in the cancellation of 175 events schedule for the following eight months. [5] By April 2024, panes of glass in the chapel had broken, the foundation suffered significant damage, and walkways around the site were cracked and jagged. Officials said that they will not be able to restore the chapel on their property and are considering relocation. [6] In May, the decision was made to begin to carefully deconstruct the structure in order to preserve as much of the original materials as possible, in collaboration with historic preservation experts and the National Park Service. [7]

Architecture and design

As with many of Wright's buildings, the chapel features geometric designs and incorporates the natural landscape into the design. [8] Wright departed from the tradition of using masonry in order to "achieve a delicate enclosure that allows the surrounding landscape to define the sacred space". [9] In the 1950s, the chapel featured a hanging garden. [1]

The Wayfarers Chapel is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and was designated a National Historic Landmark for its architecture and landscaping in 2023. [10] [11]

The church was featured in the Fox teen drama television series The O.C. , as the site of weddings and funerals. It was also featured briefly on the American science fiction television series Sliders , [12] and in an episode of The Rockford Files (season 2, episode 10, "2 Into 5.56 Won't Go"). In addition, the chapel was part of the final marriage scene in Innerspace , and two episodes in season four of 90210. The chapel was featured in one of the final scenes in the 2014 movie Endless Love, as well as being featured in the ABC television series Revenge . Marina and the Diamond's Baby music video's wedding scene was filmed at the chapel, and The CW show, Lucifer . Pentatonix's video for the song Amazing Grace was filmed at the chapel.

Celebrities who were married at the church have included Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay (1958) as well as Brian Wilson and Melinda Ledbetter (1995). [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rancho Palos Verdes, California</span> City in California, United States

Rancho Palos Verdes is a coastal city located in south Los Angeles County, California. Incorporated on September 7, 1973, the city has a population of 42,287 as reported in the 2020 United States Census. Rancho Palos Verdes sits atop the bluffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, neighboring three other cities in the Palos Verdes Hills, namely Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills, and Rolling Hills Estates. It is known for its extensive nature preserves and hiking trails, school district, as well as high property values.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Neutra</span> Austrian-American architect (1892–1970)

Richard Joseph Neutra was an Austrian-American architect. Living and building for most of his career in Southern California, he came to be considered a prominent and important modernist architect. His most notable works include the Kaufmann Desert House, in Palm Springs, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palos Verdes Peninsula</span> Sub-region of the Los Angeles metropolitan area in California, United States

The Palos Verdes Peninsula is a peninsula and sub-region of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, located within southwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. Located in the South Bay region, the peninsula contains a group of cities in the Palos Verdes Hills, including Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills and Rolling Hills Estates, as well as the unincorporated community of Westfield/Academy Hill. The South Bay city of Torrance borders the peninsula on the north, the Pacific Ocean is on the west and south, and the Port of Los Angeles is east. As of the 2010 Census, the population of the Palos Verdes Peninsula is 65,008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lloyd Wright</span> American architect

Frank Lloyd Wright Jr., commonly known as Lloyd Wright, was an American architect, active primarily in Los Angeles and Southern California. He was a landscape architect for various Los Angeles projects (1922–1924), provided the shells for the Hollywood Bowl (1926–1928), and produced the Swedenborg Memorial Chapel at Rancho Palos Verdes, California (1946–1971). His name is frequently confused with that of his more famous father, Frank Lloyd Wright.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard Maybeck</span> American architect

Bernard Ralph Maybeck was an American architect in the Arts and Crafts Movement of the early 20th century. He was an instructor at University of California, Berkeley. Most of his major buildings were in the San Francisco Bay Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portuguese Bend</span> Area on Palos Verdes Peninsula, Los Angeles County, California

The Portuguese Bend region is the largest area of natural vegetation remaining on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, in Los Angeles County, California. Though once slated for development including the projected route of Crenshaw Boulevard, the area is geologically unstable and is unsuitable for building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thorncrown Chapel</span> United States historic place

Thorncrown Chapel is a chapel located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, designed by E. Fay Jones, and constructed in 1980. The design recalls the Prairie School of architecture popularized by Frank Lloyd Wright, with whom Jones had apprenticed. The chapel was commissioned by Jim Reed, a retired schoolteacher, who envisioned a non-denominational pilgrimage chapel set apart for meditation. The design of Thorncrown Chapel was inspired by Sainte-Chapelle, a Gothic church in Paris, France, pierced by numerous stained glass windows. It held some of King Louis's medieval Christian relics, including the Crown of Thorns believed worn by Christ. This relic inspired the name of the American chapel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ennis House</span> Historic house in California, United States

The Ennis House is a residential dwelling in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States, south of Griffith Park. The home was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for Charles and Mabel Ennis in 1923 and was built in 1924.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollyhock House</span> Historic house in Los Angeles, California, U.S.

The Aline Barnsdall Hollyhock House in the East Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright originally as a residence for oil heiress Aline Barnsdall. The building is now the centerpiece of the city's Barnsdall Art Park. In July 2019, along with seven other buildings designed by Wright in the 20th century, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is the first time modern American architecture has been recognized on the World Heritage List. The Hollyhock House is noted for developing an influential architectural aesthetic, which combined indoor and outdoor living spaces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myron Hunt</span> American architect (1868–1952)

Myron Hubbard Hunt was an American architect whose numerous projects include many noted landmarks in Southern California and Evanston, Illinois. Hunt was elected a Fellow in the American Institute of Architects in 1908.

Eric Lloyd Wright was an American architect, son of Frank Lloyd Wright Jr. and the grandson of the famed Frank Lloyd Wright.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baughman Center</span> Two buildings at the University of Florida, Florida, U.S.

The Baughman Center consists of two buildings located along Lake Alice on the University of Florida campus. The main building is a 1,500-square-foot (140 m2) nondenominational chapel or pavilion, while the other one is an 1,000-square-foot (93 m2) administrative building. The chapel has seating for 96 people and is used for silent meditation, private contemplation, weddings, funerals and memorial services as well as a venue for small musical or performing arts events. The center, named after George F. Baughman and his wife, Hazel Baughman, the benefactors of the project and is considered an oasis of calm and beauty on the bustling campus. On April 18, 2012, the American Institute of Architects's Florida Chapter ranked the Baughman Center third on its list of Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Storer House (Los Angeles)</span> Historic house in California, United States

Storer House is a Frank Lloyd Wright house in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles built in 1923. The structure is noteworthy as one of the four Mayan Revival style textile-block houses built by Wright in the Los Angeles area from 1922 to 1924.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Sowden House</span> Historic house in California, United States

John Sowden House, also known as the "Jaws House" or the "Franklin House", is a residence built in 1926 in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles, California by Lloyd Wright. The house is noted for its use of ornamented textile blocks and for its striking facade, resembling either a Mayan temple or the gaping open mouth of a great white shark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old St. Peter's Episcopal Church</span> Historic site in Los Angeles, California

Old St. Peter's Episcopal Church is a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument located in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles, California, near the Port of Los Angeles. Built in 1883 in the Carpenter Gothic Victorian architecture style, it is San Pedro's oldest church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palos Verdes Hills</span> Mountain range in Southern California

The Palos Verdes Hills are a low mountain range on the southwestern coast of Los Angeles County, California. They sit atop the Palos Verdes Peninsula, a sub-region of the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy</span> Non-profit organization in California

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy (PVPLC) is a non-profit organization that is based on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in southwestern Los Angeles County, California.

Kendrick Bangs Kellogg was an American architect. An innovator of organic architecture, Kellogg built a wide assortment of distinctive buildings. Homes include the Lotus House, Wingsweep, the High Desert house, and the Onion House. Public buildings include the Hoshino Wedding Chapel in Japan and Charthouse restaurants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trump National Golf Club, Los Angeles</span> Public golf club in Rancho Palos Verdes, California

Trump National Golf Club, Los Angeles is a public golf club in Rancho Palos Verdes, California with a 7,242-yard (6,622 m) course designed by Pete Dye and Donald J. Trump Signature Design. It is owned by The Trump Organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Baptist Church of Ventura</span> Historic church in California, United States

First Baptist Church of Ventura is a historic church at 101 S. Laurel Street in Ventura, California. It was built in 1926 and renovated extensively into the Mayan Revival style in 1932. Declared a landmark by the City of Ventura In 1975, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. Since 1952, it has been home to the Ventura Center for Spiritual Living.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Boone, Lisa (December 19, 2023). "The most Instagrammable chapel in L.A. is now a historic landmark". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  2. "Wayfarer's Chapel to Rebuild Visitors Center". Los Angeles Times . February 11, 1998.
  3. Ferrell, David (May 24, 2001). "A Fragile Beauty on the Shifting Rock of Ages". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  4. Schlepp, Travis (February 16, 2024). "Famed Southern California chapel closes due to shifting land". KTLA. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  5. Elliott, Farley (February 19, 2024). "Historic Calif. seaside chapel closed indefinitely after coastal landslide". SFGATE. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  6. Toohey, Grace (April 4, 2024). "Wayfarers Chapel looks to relocate due to threatening landslide". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  7. Schlepp, Travis (May 14, 2024). "Famed Southern California chapel to be deconstructed as land continues to shift". KTLA. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  8. "Wayfarers Chapel, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright Jr., receives National Historic Landmark nomination". ABC7 Los Angeles. KABC. June 18, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  9. Solomon, Nancy B., ed. (2008). Architecture: Celebrating the Past, Designing the Future. Visual Reference Publications Inc. p. 324. ISBN   9781584711629.
  10. "WEEKLY LIST OF ACTIONS TAKEN ON PROPERTIES: 12/8/2023 THROUGH 12/15/2023". National Park Service. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  11. "NHL nomination for Wayfarers Chapel (executive summary)" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  12. The O. C. Filming Locations