SEA RANCH, Calif. — When driving on Highway 1 along the Sonoma County coast, it's hard to take your eyes off the breathtaking natural beauty. Chances are a strange looking structure will catch your eye when you pass through the little community of Sea Ranch.
The Sea Ranch Chapel’s unique curves and abstract design may look more like something out of a Dr. Seuss book than a chapel, but volunteer caretaker Amy Van Syoc says the peculiar building was designed to attract curious travelers.
“The more you see, the more you want to know,” said Van Syoc.
The outside of the chapel is intriguing to visitors, but inside the chapel, your eyes are sent on a scavenger hunt for fine craftsmanship and artistic detail.
“The mosaic on the floor is full of color, the plaster on the ceiling represents a flower and on the walls, there is glass or maybe it’s a marble,” said Van Syoc.
The man behind the creative design of the chapel was James Hubbell, an artist and architectural designer. The completed building was the result of a collaboration of many artists.
“Different people were doing the woodwork, the stonework, the ceiling — someone was doing the redwood,” said Van Syoc.
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The chapel was commissioned and gifted to the residents of Sea Ranch by Robert and Betty Buffum. They dedicated the building in memory of their friend’s son, Navy aviator Kirk Ditzler who died in 1982. Ditzler was also an artist, and his drawing inspired the shape of the chapel.
“It was a great loss, so that was the dedication from the Buffums to the Ditzlers,” said Van Syoc.
From the kaleidoscope of stained glass to the custom redwood shingles, the entire chapel was constructed in just nine months. When the doors were opened in 1985, everyone was welcome religious or not.
“This is a spiritual place so a lot of people come here for reflection or sacred events,” said Van Syoc.
Thanks to the hard work and maintenance supplied by The Sea Ranch Chapel Foundation, curious passersby can explore this piece of art free of charge 365 days a year.
MORE SACRED SPACES ON THE BACKROADS: For over 130 years, a unique spiritual oasis-for-two has been drawing visitors to Colusa County.
