The newly rebuilt Roman Catholic chapel, St. Bartholomew's, in Valley Center. It has just been rebuilt after the original 1930's era chapel was destroyed in the 2007 wildfires. The beautiful new chapel was designed with the assistance of local architect Kevin deFreitas, who was born near the site of the church. Unlike the old church, which was made mostly of wood, the new building is made with wood, stone and rammed earth from the area, which has been specifically designed to be fireproof and earthquake safe as well. The only part of the old building that survived the fire was the original bell tower, which has been incorporated into the new design. The chapel was consecrated by Bishop Robert Brom on February 14, 2010. The chapel is located at 5500 Mazetti Lane, just past the Harrah's casino in Valley Center.
March 2, 2010