Los Angeles' most Instagrammable chapel, a mid-century modern structure with redwoods, ocean views, and a long history as a popular wedding venue, has closed indefinitely. Following the recent storms, Wayfarers Chapel announced that earthworks in the area had increased.
Just months after the Rancho Palos Verdes church was named a National Historic Landmark, the site was forced to close its doors.
“Effective immediately,” a statement read, “we are extremely devastated to announce the closure of Wayfarers Chapel and its surrounding properties due to accelerated earth movement in our local area.”
The statement said those with reservations would receive refunds.
The Rev. David Brown told The Times in December that more than 300,000 people visited the chapel the previous year and that about 400 couples were married there, a drop from pre-pandemic levels.
Celebrity nuptials include Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay in 1958 and Brian Wilson and Melinda Ledbetter of the Beach Boys in 1995. Four years after the Wilson-Ledbetter nuptials, the chapel hosted 800 weddings.
“Visitors have told me they remember seeing Jayne Mansfield being taken to the limousine,” Brown said.
The 100-seat chapel, known to many visitors as “the Crystal Church” for its glass walls and ceiling, was designed by Lloyd Wright, son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It was completed in 1951.
The chapel is located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, which has long been prone to landslides. The structure overlooks Abalone Cove, a landslide complex. Earth movement has affected the area in recent decades, causing cracks in the ground and structures to buckle and shift.
The chapel had to remove its original visitor center due to earthworks. The new center was designed by Lloyd Wright's son, Eric Lloyd Wright.
Wayfarers Chapel is nestled among trees on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, overlooking Abalone Cove, a landslide complex.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
The Rev. Dan Burchett told KTLA-TV on Thursday that there were cracks in the structure. “Seven windows have been broken. [since] “July,” he said.
In a statement, the city of Rancho Palos Verdes said the chapel had been in contact about the recent earthworks for several months and finally requested an inspection last week.
“While damage and signs of movement were observed, no structures had yellow or red tags,” the statement said, adding that the decision to close was voluntary and made by the chapel.
Times staff writer Lisa Boone contributed to this report.
