Famed Southern California chapel closes due to shifting land
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A historic landmark in Rancho Palos Verdes has closed, possibly for good, due to shifting and sliding land near the property.
Wayfarers Chapel, also known as “The Glass Church,” made the announcement Thursday.
“Effective immediately, we are extremely devastated to announce the closure of Wayfarers Chapel and its surrounding property due to the accelerated land movement in our local area,” a notice on the church’s website reads.
The popular wedding chapel stands among a crowd of trees that overlook Abalone Cove. It has hosted thousands of weddings, including celebrity’s, since it opened in 1951.
Actors Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay were married there in 1958 and Brian Wilson of Beach Boys fame and Melinda Ledbetter tied the knot in 1995, according to the Los Angeles Times.
It’s also appeared in several film and television scenes, including “The O.C.,” “Beverly Hills 90210,” and “True Detective.”
Couples who have booked the church for their own nuptials are being told that event coordinators will be in contact to issue refunds.
The chapel was designed by famed architect Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright, in the 1940s and was built for $25,000. It features Lloyd Wright’s famous organic style with sharp angles, geometric shapes and its blending of nature into its design.
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It was named a National Historic Landmark in 2023 for its unique architecture and landscaping that embodies “the distinguishing characteristics of postwar organic ecclesiastical design. The chapel is an exceptional and unique example of a modern organic religious complex with a significant designed landscape,” according to the National Park Service.
Photo shows the interior of the Wayfarers Chapel. (Photo by Rick Meyer/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes is shown in this photo from November 30, 2022. The famed Midcentury Modern structure with glass walls was designed by Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright. (Getty Images) Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes is shown in this photo from November 30, 2022. The famed Midcentury Modern structure with glass walls was designed by Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright. (Getty Images)
The church has fallen victim to the shifting landscape in the past, losing a visitor center in a landslide decades ago.
Rancho Palos Verdes has experienced land movement along the coast and on its sweeping hills. It’s been the site of several landslides, often driven by significant rainfall.
The City says it has been closely monitoring land movement near Abalone Cove, as well as in Klondike Canyon and Portuguese Bend.
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