St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel (Ojai, California) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel
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 Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 130 W. Ojai Ave., Ojai, California |
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| Built | 1918 |
| Architect | Richard Requa, Frank Mead |
| Architectural style | Mission Revival—Spanish Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 95000785 |
| Added to NRHP | June 29, 1995 |
The St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel is an old Catholic church building in Ojai. Ojai is a town in Ventura County, southern California. Today, this special building is home to Ojai's museum, its research library, and a group that studies local history.
History of the Chapel
Building the Church
The St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel was designed by two architects. Their names were Richard Requa and Frank Mead. Richard Requa was famous in the San Diego area. They designed the chapel in a style called Mission Revival. It also had parts of the Spanish Colonial Revival style.
The chapel was built in 1918. It replaced Ojai's first wooden Catholic church. That church had been destroyed by a fire. Richard Requa also designed other famous buildings in Ojai. These include the downtown Arcade and Watchtower. These were part of a project to make Ojai more beautiful. A leader named Edward Libbey started this project in the early 1900s.
A New Purpose
By 1963, the church community had grown too big. They needed a larger place to worship. So, the church moved to Meiners Oaks. The old chapel in downtown Ojai was left behind.
In the early 1990s, the historic chapel was in bad shape. It had cracks and was crumbling. Church leaders thought about tearing it down. They also considered selling the land. But city leaders and people who cared about history wanted to save it. They worked to find money to buy and protect the building.
In 1993, the City of Ojai bought the chapel. They also bought the nearby parish hall. The city paid $385,000 for them. The city then fixed up and updated the building. They wanted it to be used by local groups. In 1995, the Aquinas chapel was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a very important historic site.
What It Is Now
The St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel building now holds the Ojai Valley Museum. It also houses the Ojai Valley Historical Society. This group studies the history of the Ojai Valley. The building also has the Ojai Valley Museum Research Library.
The museum shows many interesting things. You can see old items from Ojai's first settlers. There are also old photographs. The museum has Chumash Native American baskets. The Chumash are the native people of this area. You can also see modern art at the museum.
See Also
