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Chapel of the Holy Cross Listed on National Register

Sedona AZ (November 16, 2011) – The Chapel of the Holy Cross has been recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register is the official listing of the nation’s cultural resources worthy of preservation.

The Chapel was nominated for this listing at the national level of significance for its architectural design as an outstanding example of the Post War Modern Movement in Arizona. Built in 1955-56, the Chapel received a First Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1957.

Fr. J.C. Ortiz, pastor of St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Sedona stated ” We are very excited about the honorary designation and want to thank the Historic Preservation Commission for making it possible”. Since 1969, the Chapel has been maintained, administered and belongs to the Parish of St. John Vianney Catholic Church of Sedona and the Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.

Designed by Ashen and Ashen of San Francisco, the Chapel was built directly into a pair of parallel rock buttes. Its unique and inspiring location, rising out of a 200-foot tall rock formation, emphasizes its “verticality” and its tower-like profile. Its design and the use of exposed aggregate concrete, steel and glass were considered bold in the 1950s. The Chapel was conceived and commissioned by Marguerite Brunswig Staude, an accomplished painter and sculptor, as a tribute to her parents.

In 1941, Marguerite and her husband Tony Staude purchased the Doodlebug Ranch in Sedona as a vacation retreat. At this time, Mass was celebrated at the Brewer School, a one-room schoolhouse. As Sedona grew, Marguerite became passionate about having a Catholic Church built here. When her mother died in 1946, it was her last wish to fulfill a spiritual trust.

Marguerite decided to build the Chapel as a memorial to her parents, Lucien and Marguerite Brunswig. William Simpson Construction Company was selected as the contractor and Fred Harry Coukos oversaw their work. Groundbreaking took place in April 1955 and it was completed in 1956 at a cost of $300,000.

In 2008, the Sedona Historic Preservation Commission designated the Chapel of the Holy Cross as a Local Historic Landmark. With the recent listing on the National Register, plans are now underway for a public event in conjunction with Sedona’s celebration of the Arizona Centennial in 2012.

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