Officials from the beloved historic Wayfarer Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes are considering a Coast Guard site as the church’s new home following the destruction and dismantling caused by last year’s landslide.
Since the dismantling of the nearly 75-year-old chapel last summer, the majority of the structure’s pieces have been in storage, and services have continued at Saint Francis Church. Now, the chapel is exploring options for a permanent relocation.
Communications director Stephanie Cartozian said there have been offers from all over the region, but the goal is to stay local.
“We are definitely pursuing the Palos Verdes Peninsula options,” she told KNX News’ Nataly Tavidian. “The first one, and the most interesting one to us, is the Battery Barnes site. It is currently owned by the Coast Guard, and the city of Rancho Palos Verdes is going to be collaborating with us and seeing if we can have the property deeded over to the city of Rancho Palace Verdes for our available use.”
The historic Battery Barnes site overlooks the ocean, just like the original location. It also has an underground bunker.
“We're planning not only to rebuild the chapel, but to add a visitor center, possible museum, gallery, restaurant, and other facilities for hikers and people that are out in the community,” Cartozian said.
The challenge will be convincing the Coast Guard to deed the property to the city and securing an estimated $25 million to rebuild.
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The Wayfarer Chapel, a National Historic Landmark, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and opened in 1951. It shut down in Feb. 2024 amid worsening damage from ongoing landslides in the area.
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