Day 1649: A hidden gem, nearby!

jo,  ink. watercolor & collage postcard

Have you heard of Wayfarers Chapel?

Located just 45 miles from me in Rancho Palos Verde,

is a beautiful gem of history, architecture & a dream.

To my mind, more beautiful than any cathedral.

I looked up the history here & am borrowing.

It started as a dream of Elizabeth Schellenberg, 

a member of the Swedenborgian Church who lived 

on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the late 1920's.

Mrs. Schellenberg dreamed of a little chapel on a hillside 

above the Pacific where wayfarers could stop to rest, meditate 

and give thanks to God for the wonder and beauty of creation.

The Peninsula was largely open farmland at that time. 

A two-lane gravel road was skirting the shoreline 

from San Pedro to Palos Verdes Estates.

Narcissa Cox Vanderlip, also a member of the 
Swedenborgian Church, responded to the dream 
and agreed to contribute land for the chapel site.

The 3.5 acres site and Wayfarers Chapel’s cornerstone 

was dedicated on July 16, 1949. 

When the Chapel was completed in 1951 it stood alone 

like a precious jewel on a deserted dusty knoll 

overlooking the blue Pacific. 

Today what you are looking at is a “tree chapel.”

Chapel architect Lloyd Wright had been inspired 
by the cathedral-like majesty of redwood trees 
in northern California. 

The redwood trees that surround Wayfarers Chapel 
are forming living walls and roof to a natural sanctuary 
encased in glass with view of the surrounding 
forest and nearby Pacific Ocean. 

  Lloyd Wright’s design of Wayfarers Chapel 
is the perfect combination of nature and architectural 
genius and is one of the foremost examples 
 of organic architecture and is listed 

in the National Register of Historic Places.

. . .

I had been here as a young girl & remember 

being awestruck by the ethereal beauty & peacefulness.

So when Megan & Mike asked me to join them & their family

for a chamber music concert there, it took

only half of a nano-second to respond, yes please!

Clear blue skies & Catalina Island looked so close.

Pacific check for Lynn in Colorado.

The Chapel grounds are open daily to the public - 9am to 5pm.

The sanctuary is closed to the public when there are events 

in progress, but the grounds will remain open. 

Please contact the Visitors Center for our daily schedule. 

Visitors Center is open daily from 10am – 5pm.

5755 Palos Verdes Drive South
Rancho Palos Verdes, California 90275, USA
1 (310) 377-1650 

On to Open Sesame in Long Beach for Lebanese food.

Being with the Nomura Family is special. photo by Craig Nomura

A great day & evening.

Thank you Nomura Family.

Palos Verde Peninsula, January 29, 2017

Seeing this today reminded me ...

when I was very young and saw this ...

I thought it was God writing from heaven.

A smile for Monday ...