WADSWORTH
CHAPEL
The restoration of the Wadsworth Chapel will realize long-held aspirations for this symbol of the Veterans Administration’s and the community’s commitment to the welfare of our Veterans.
Located in the heart of the property just north of Wilshire Boulevard, the chapel rests on hallowed ground and represents the spiritual center of the land. It is the crown jewel of the campus and an iconic symbol of hope and support for Veterans.
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THE VETERANS PROMISE
Together, we can make the chapel a symbol of hope and resilience on this revitalized campus for the Veterans who bravely served our country. Learn more about how you can help.
The History
In 1887, Arcadia Bandini de Baker and Senator John P. Jones donated 825 acres of land in West Los Angeles to build the Pacific Branch of the National Home for Veterans, today known as the West Los Angeles Veterans Administration. The 1887 Fund – founded by Arcadia Bandini de Baker’s grand-niece Carolina Barrie in 2015 – was created to serve as a catalyst for the physical and spiritual restoration of the Wadsworth Chapel. When completed, the renovated chapel – complete with a new Center for Moral Injury Recovery – will be a beacon of hope and hospitality, the oldest landmark on Wilshire Boulevard, and a spiritual home for the military Veterans that served our nation.
In 2020, Wadsworth Chapel Heritage Partners came together in a commitment to raise the visibility and support needed to restore this historic property and its original purpose: serving our Veterans and community.
The restoration of the Wadsworth Chapel will realize long-held aspirations for this symbol of the Veterans Administration’s and the community’s commitment to the welfare of our Veterans. Located in the heart of the property just north of Wilshire Boulevard, the chapel rests on hallowed ground and represents the spiritual center of the land. It is the crown jewel of the campus and an iconic symbol of hope and support for our Nation’s Veterans.
But the Wadsworth Chapel is so much more than just a symbol.
The restoration and revitalization of the chapel will pave the way for various cutting-edge programs that extend beyond, and supplement, standard health and human services. The Wadsworth Chapel is a highly visible landmark on Wilshire Boulevard, one of the major arteries of Los Angeles, and it stands as a sobering reminder that the West Los Angeles VA campus must be a place of healing, comfort, and refuge for the men and women who bravely served our country and deserve our support.
The Wadsworth Chapel is a classic example of Victorian architecture and has the distinction of being the oldest building still standing on Wilshire Boulevard.
Tragically, it has been neglected for decades and now is in a complete state of disrepair and in dire need of an “architectural resurrection.” To achieve this, the building will require major attention to the foundation, seismic retrofitting, asbestos and lead paint removal, and more.
The Wadsworth Chapel will provide a space for all Veterans of all faiths to gather, heal and assure the preservation, restoration, and adaptive re-use of the historic building.
The chapel will be home to a Center for Moral Injury focused on healing the moral and ethical wounds of war, fostering new research, and developing more holistic care for Veterans that goes beyond clinical diagnosis and treatment.
The Center for Moral Injury will also train and equip future chaplains on both active duty and within the Veterans Administration with the empathy and understanding required to care for those who have “borne the battle.” Those of us who have worked closely with our Veterans recognize the wounds of war are not only physical or mental, but also spiritual. As such, soul repair is core to the healing process
and all Veterans should have access to a spiritual haven. Through its restoration, the Wadsworth Chapel will serve as a source of hope and healing for generations of Veterans regardless of their beliefs or traditions.
“The chapel represents the soul of military bases all over the world, and the renovation of the Wadsworth Chapel will bring the soul back to a West Los Angeles VA North Campus in dire need of restoration. We cannot underestimate the power of bringing the soul back to our work of healing our courageous Veterans.”
The Funding Needs
Redevelopment of the entire West Los Angeles VA North Campus to create the nation’s largest supportive housing community for Veterans and families will require an investment of more than $1.2 billion to complete.
The Veterans Promise Campaign seeks to raise $188.7 million in private funding for those priorities that are not eligible for public funding. This includes the Wadsworth Chapel and other historical buildings. The cost of restoring the Wadsworth Chapel building is estimated at $28.5 million.
Major Funding Opportunities
THE CHAPEL
Consistent with the chapel’s founding mission – to serve the spiritual needs of Catholic and Protestant Veterans living on campus – the original church will be restored as a place for community and gathering for all faiths and denominations, as well as those who simply need a spiritual sanctuary. Programming in the chapel building will include a Center for Moral Injury, community activities including meditation, musical and theater performances, and lectures and symposia for Veterans.
The Center for Moral Injury Recovery
The chapel will serve as the flagship home of the innovative Center for Moral Injury Recovery, designed specifically to address the invisible wounds, moral and spiritual traumas Veterans have suffered. Within the context of military service, particularly the experience of war, “moral injury” refers to the lasting emotional, psychological, and spiritual impacts of actions that violate a service member’s core moral values. The chapel will house a cutting-edge moral injury recovery program to address traumas specific to moral injury, including collapse of meaning or faith, loss of trust, self-isolation, despair, and failure of relationships. Participants will receive housing on campus, and counselors and therapists will guide Veteran participants, of any service era, gender, religious or humanistic affiliation.
LOUNGE AND LIBRARY
This area will provide a quiet place where Veterans can retreat from the bustle of the campus.
OFFICES AND WORKSPACES
Administrative spaces will house the offices of the various programs and provide community meeting rooms of varying sizes.
ENDOWMENT
An endowment fund will support the long-term maintenance and upkeep of these historic properties, as well the robust programming offered in the chapel.
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THE VETERANS PROMISE
Together, we can make the chapel a symbol of hope and resilience on this revitalized campus for the Veterans who bravely served our country. Learn more about how you can help.
Follow a manual added linkHelp us create a Veteran-serving neighborhood.
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