Preserving the past for future generations, the St. Isidore Chapel was dedicated as an historical landmark this past Sunday by the Los Alamitos Museum Association, Inc.
Preserving the past for future generations, the St. Isidore Chapel was dedicated as an historical landmark this past Sunday by the Los Alamitos Museum Association, Inc.
Built in 1926, the chapel is the oldest community building in Los Alamitos. After 1999, the Catholic Church closed the parish, and the St. Isidore Historical Plaza organization was established to preserve and restore the property as a park for community service.
The St. Isidore Historical Plaza organization is hoping to purchase the property for $1.2 million dollars from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, and gift it to the City of Los Alamitos.
“We’ve been doing fundraisers for 13 years to first purchase the site,” said Anita Schommer, Public City Director for Los Alamitos Museum Association.
The LAMA was established in 1976 for the purpose of research, preserving and promoting the history of the community. The grounds are currently used by more than 10,000 people for the distribution of food and clothing, after-school tutoring, ESL classes and meetings for various community groups.
“St. Isidore is considered the historic heart of the city,” said Schommer, who is also on the Board of Directors for St. Isidore Historical Plaza organization.
Built by local laborers, farmers, ranchers and dairy workers who once populated Los Alamitos, the site was named for St. Isidore, patron saint of laborers and farm workers. Rich in history, St. Isidore Chapel and Plaza survived the 1933 Long Beach earthquake, and is known for its 10 stained glass windows, intricate interior woodwork and Spanish Revival style stucco throughout. The chapel itself is currently closed to the public since it’s in need of earthquake retro-fitting.
Donations to preserve and restore the property can be made to the St. Isidore Historical Plaza organization, a volunteer non-profit entity. They can be reached by calling 562-596-9918 or online at www.stisidorehistoricalplaza.org.