The historic Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes has closed because of ongoing land movement exacerbated by the recent heavy rains, according to an Instagram post and a letter sent to wedding clients — making the iconic glass-and-wood structure the latest victim of the perpetually shifting earth on the Peninsula.
Rancho Palos Verdes gave notice on Thursday, Feb. 15, that the chapel and its surrounding grounds have been “deemed unsafe by their governing standards,” according to a letter obtained by the Southern California News Group.
“Despite efforts to repair and maintain our beautiful Chapel and surrounding property,” the letter said, “it is with an extremely heavy heart that we announce the closure of Wayfarers Chapel and its surrounding property.”
Wayfarers officials did not return requests for comment. But RPV spokesperson Megan Barnes said in a Thursday evening statement that the decision to close Wayfarers was voluntary.
RPV officials had spoken to those at Wayfarers in recent months about the ongoing land movement and remediation efforts, Barnes said. Last week, the city’s building official inspected the facility. While the official saw damage and signs of movement, Barnes said, nothing was yellow- or red-tagged.
The city learned Wednesday the Wayfarers Chapel Board of Directors made the voluntary decision to close the grounds, Barnes said.
“The City of Rancho Palos Verdes is saddened by the announcement of the temporary closure of Wayfarers Chapel,” Barnes said, “a national landmark and iconic cultural treasure of the City and the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
“The City stands ready to support Wayfarers Chapel in any way possible,” she added, “to safely reopen this sacred space to the community.”
And now, a popular wedding venue that recently received national historic status has been shuttered. No public access is allowed on the premises “effective immediately,” according to a Thursday afternoon Instagram post.
“We are extremely devastated to announce the closure of Wayfarers Chapel and its surrounding property,” the post said, “due to the accelerated land movement in our local area.”
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a Thursday statement that, while the closure is sad, the decision to shutter it for public safety reasons was the right one.
“But it is still devastating news and another reminder of the seriousness of this land movement,” Hahn said. “Wayfarers Chapel is one of the more beautiful chapels in the country if not the world and we all have treasured memories there.”
The Rev. David Brown, who joined the staff of Wayfarers in August 2006, said in a previous interview that the church needed about $10 million for restoration.
The chapel was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright Jr., more commonly known as Lloyd Wright and the son of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It was originally the home of the Swedenborgian Church when it opened more than seven decades ago.
The chapel, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in December, has been a film site and a beloved wedding location with expansive views of the Pacific Ocean for decades.
Now that it’s closed, the chapel will issue refunds to anyone who has confirmed reservations to use the site, the Wayfarers Instagram post said.
But people who had upcoming weddings planned for the historic chapel were still left scrambling to find other venues.
Placentia resident Nicole Elenbaas, for example, is getting married on April 27. She said she chose Wayfarers because it had been her late mother’s dream to get married there herself, but her mom had too large a guest list to do so.
Wayfarers holds a maximum of 100 people.
Elenbaas and her mom visited the Rancho Palos Verdes landmark in 2017 — and, the soon-to-be newlywed said, she understood its appeal. The church itself, with its wood and glass panels, lets in the light and a view of massive trees that encase the structure.
“It’s like a dream, honestly,” she said. “It’s so incredibly beautiful. It was absolutely perfect.”
After Elenbaas’ mother died in 2020, she made a vow:
“I kind of made a promise,” she said, “that this is where I was going to get married.”
Elenbaas put a deposit down in April, she said. The total for renting the chapel was $6,400.
She learned of the closure on Thursday from her fiance, Ricky Silvas, who opened the email from Wayfarers before she did. After verifying what he said, Elenbaas said, she just cried and cried.
“I’m so incredibly sad that it’s not where my wedding is going to be,” she said. “I hope they rebuild it somewhere else.”