Located across from a nature preserve in the mountains of Southern California, St James Monastery was born out of the prayers of the Claypools, a married couple who are iconographers. The chapel walls had been covered with floor to ceiling icons painted by the Claypools. They hoped to eventually establish a monastic presence once required improvements to the property could be made.

Those hopes were dashed sometime in December 2000. St. James Monastery was vandalized by unknown persons beyond the possiblity of repair. Even the Lord's Cross on the roof (20 feet by 17 feet) was torn dorn and mutilated. The Cross had stood for three years through some of the most fierce Santana winds and two earthquakes. Everything inside and out was destroyed. The doors were torn from their hinges, walls ripped, and floor to ceiling Holy Icons destroyed.

Robert Claypool describes the damage: "Yesterday we took pictures of the damage. It was a hard thing to do, but I felt it had to be done for history. Some of the wall Icons were not touched. It was as if the Angels protected them. The overall damage is horrible. The local newspaper is to do a story."

Despite this terrible setback, the Claypools hope to start another Monastery in another location some time in the future.