A couple quiet spots tucked away in the Old Fort Lowell neighborhood give a glimpse into Tucson's early religious and cultural history.
The San Pedro Chapel was built by the people of El Fuerte — a village that sprang up after the U.S. Army closed the fort. The chapel later became an artist's residence before it was restored in the 1990s.
Dedicated in 1932, the chapel was built over the ruins of an older church. It is a City of Tucson Historic Landmark and is also on the National Register of Historic Places. Nearby is an even older, tinier chapel called La Capillita, originally built in 1915 and restored from a pile of rubble.
Linda Walker, the event coordinator of the chapel, said that the Old Fort Lowell Neighborhood Association has worked hard to keep the sense of community that was there.
“This has always been a labor of love,” Walker said. “Everyone treats the site with respect, so that’s reinforcement for the restorers.”
The inside of the chapel holds about 64 people comfortably. Though the church is non denominational, there are antique paintings and sculptures of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
It is available to reserve for weddings and other events.
According to Walker, an altar is in the process of being made to replicate the style of an antique table at the back of the chapel. All the benches were made by a man living in the neighborhood, who recently died.
The bell at the top of the chapel was a request from a woman in the neighborhood as her dying wish. The bell is from an old Caribbean ship.
Walker also said that the chapel is used for weddings, baptisms, memorials and concerts.
“The acoustics are incredible,” Walker said. “Once a guitarist left with tears in his eyes because he never sounded so good.”
After a wedding, most couples will donate their decorations to the chapel which are used for Old Fort Lowell Day.
According to Walker, the Old Fort Lowell Neighborhood Association wants the chapel to stay viable but also remain hidden.
“It’s to our benefit because people love that they self-discovered the location. ‘I didn’t know you were here,’ they always say,” Walker said. “Most of our revenue comes from word-of-mouth or Pinterest.”
Next to the chapel is the Adobe House which is where the people of El Fuerte would live and raise families. The Old Fort Lowell Neighborhood Association has their board meetings there as well as the Live at Home Program.
The Association would like to do more neighborhood community events, according to Walker.
“Sometimes when I’m sitting outside the chapel waiting for someone to show it, I hear the birds chirping, I see little baby quails and squirrels run by, and look out at the mountains,” Walker said. “People can feel that this place is special.”
