Historic RPV Landmark Could Soon Be Moved To New Site

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA — The iconic Wayfarers Chapel could soon be rebuilt at a new site in Rancho Palos Verdes, according to officials.

Last week, chapel officials released renderings of a prospective new site for the building at Battery Barnes in Rancho Palos Verdes.

Battery Barnes is currently owned by the U.S. Coast Guard, but city officials asked Congressman Ted Lieu in an April letter to help support and expedite the transfer of the historic site to Rancho Palos Verdes to relocate and rebuild Wayfares Chapel on the military site.

Following in-depth discussions, the Wayfarers Board and the City of Rancho Palos Verdes have identified the Battery-Barnes site as the ideal new home," Wayfarers Chapel Administrative Director Robert Carr and Mayor Bradley said in the joint letter to the congressman. "This approximately 4-acre location perched above the Pacific Ocean and across from the Point Vicente Lighthouse, offers breathtaking views and historic significance that align perfectly with the Chapel’s legacy."

In addition to the transfer of the site to the Rancho Palos Verdes officials are also asking Congressman Lieu's help in securing $25 to 30 million in federal discretionary funding to help restore the chapel and establish a new public campus, according to an administrative report published by city officials last week.

The chapel was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright Jr. in the 1940s and completed in 1951.

In 2023, the site was officially registered as a national historic landmark. But it suffered extensive damage due to the accelerated landslide movements in 2024, forcing chapel leaders to tear the building down and store it. Although most of the chapel was salvaged, other parts, such as the bell tower, could not be saved due to dangerous conditions that prevented scaffolding and large cranes from safely reaching the site.

Following its disassembly, Rancho Palos Verdes has received offers from other places in California, Pennsylvania and Canada for the chapel, including some with full coverage of transportation and construction costs, city officials said in the letter to Congressman Lieu.

However, city officials said they remain committed to keeping the chapel rooted in Rancho Palos Verdes, "where it has been a beloved part of the community for generations."

If the plan to move to Battery Barnes moves forward, the new site would feature the reassembled chapel, a meeting hall for public rentals, a hallelujah bell tower, a museum, a café, public trails interpretive visitor center, a native plant garden and "sweeping coastal views," according to officials.

Local Editor Rachel Barnes contributed to this report.