Old Santa Rosa Chapel

Anyone who has traveled with me knows that I typically seek out old cemeteries as I think they are a slice of history, art, and storytelling. For this Halloween, I am featuring The Santa Rosa Chapel, located in Cambria, California. I stumbled upon it during my first visit there in 2010 and returned again this year.



How about that doorknob?



The chapel was built in 1970 for the local Roman Catholic community by Henry Williams and was the first church built in the county after its establishment in 1850.





Its congregation included guests of William Randolph Hearst, Marion Davies, Gary Cooper and Bing Crosby. Why would friends of these celebrities be found here? Because William Randolph Hearst’s San Simeon property (aka Hearst Castle) was just down the road.



How the same headstone looked 8 years before:



The final Mass at this cemetery was celebrated in the Chapel on May 26, 1963.





From the Chapel’s website:

After its closing, the chapel and cemetery fell into a state of neglect and disrepair with both the chapel and cemetery incurring vandalism. In 1978, Cambria natives Marina Curti and Clementine Newman formed the Santa Rosa Chapel committee and spearheaded the restoration project for seven years. The chapel was rededicated for community use on September 16, 1984.

While there, I encountered this beautiful animal:



See more Old Santa Rosa Chapel photos at my main website.