The National Cathedral, Washington D.C. 
See our National Cathedral Photo Gallery for credits and more views.
Gothic-style exterior of the National Cathedral. Photo by Dave Amundsen.
Funeral of Ronald Reagan at the National Cathedral.
Washington National Cathedral (officially named the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul), is the Episcopalian cathedral of Washington D.C. and the national house of prayer of the USA.
Located on Mt. St. Alban at Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues in Washington, DC, the National Cathedral is the sixth largest cathedral in the world and second largest in the United States. It is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
The National Cathedral is affiliated with the U.S. government by a charter of Congress signed on January 6, 1893, but does not receive any federal, state or city funding.
History
In 1792 Pierre L'Enfant's Plan of the Federal City set aside land for a "great church for national purposes." The National Portrait Gallery now occupies that site. In 1891, a meeting was held to renew plans for a national cathedral.
In 1893 the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation of the District of Columbia was granted a charter from the United States Congress to establish the cathedral. A commanding site on Mount Saint Albans was chosen and Frederick Bodley, England's leading Anglican church architect, was appointed the head architect.
Construction started September 29, 1907 with a ceremonial address by President Theodore Roosevelt and the laying of the cornerstone. In 1912, Bethlehem Chapel opened for services in the unfinished cathedral, which have continued daily ever since.
When construction of the cathedral resumed after a brief hiatus for World War I, both Bodley and Vaughan had passed away. American architect Philip Hubert Frohman took over the design of the cathedral.
Washington National Cathedral was finally completed on 29 September 1990 after almost a century of planning and 83 years in construction. It was funded entirely from private sources; maintenance and upkeep continue to rely upon private support.
Washington National Cathedral was the site of two Presidential state funerals: for Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ronald W. Reagan, and a presidential burial in the cathedral mausoleum: Woodrow Wilson.
Eisenhower lay in repose at the cathedral before lying in state. In addition, a memorial service for Harry Truman took place at National Cathedral, which foreign dignitaries attended because of the advanced age of his wife, Bess.
Washington National Cathedral's pulpit was the last one from which Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke prior to his assassination in 1968.
Many major events have been interfaith services, including the 9/11 memorial service and the Reagan funeral.
What to See
See the National Cathedral Photo Gallery for a virtual tour of the cathedral inside and out.
The National Cathedral's final design shows a mix of influences from the various Gothic architectural styles of the middle ages, marked, among other things, by pointed arches, flying buttresses, vaulted ceilings, stained-glass windows, stone-carved decorations, and three similar towers, two on the west front and one surmounting the crossing.
Its west end is reminiscent of Bristol Cathedral in England. It sits on a landscaped 57 acre (230,000 m²) plot on Mount Saint Alban, in northwest Washington, DC.
Washington National Cathedral consists of a long, narrow rectangular interior formed by an eight-bay nave with wide side aisles and a five-bay chancel, intersected by a six-bay transept.
Above the crossing rising 91 m (301 ft) above the ground is the Gloria in Excelsis Tower. Its top, at 206 m (676 ft) above sea level is the highest point in Washington, DC. In total, the cathedral is 115 m (375 ft) above sea level. Uniquely, the tower has two full sets of bells — a 53-bell carillon and a 10-bell peal for change ringing.
The one-story porch projecting from the south transept has a large portal with a carved tympanum. This portal is approached by the Pilgrim Steps, a long flight of steps 12 m (40 ft) wide. Most of the building is constructed using gray Indiana limestone. Some concrete and structural steel were also used sparingly.
The interior of Washington National Cathedral abounds in architectural sculptures, wood carvings, mosaics and wrought iron pieces. There is even a gargoyle of Darth Vader on the north tower.
There are other works of art including over two hundred stained glass windows, the most familiar of which may be the Space Window, honoring man's landing on the Moon, which includes a fragment of lunar rock at its center.
Most of the decorative elements naturally incorporate Christian symbolism and biblical stories, but the cathedral is also filled with memorials to persons or events of national significance: statues of Washington and Lincoln, state seals embedded in the mosaic floor of the narthex, state flags that hang along the nave, and stained glass commemorating events like the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Washington National Cathedral and its mausoleum and columbariums house the tombs of many notable American citizens, including:
- George Dewey, navy admiral
- Philip Frohman, cathedral architect
- Helen Keller, deaf role model
- Henry Yates Satterlee, first Episcopal bishop of Washington
- Henry Vaughan, cathedral architect
- Woodrow Wilson, president of the United States (the only president buried in Washington D.C.)
Quick Facts
| Names: | Washington National Cathedral; Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul |
| Type of site: | Cathedral |
| Faith: | Episcopalian |
| Status: | Active |
| Dates: | Built 1907-90 |
| Architecture: | Neo-Gothic |
| Size: | 75,000 sq ft in area; 525 ft in length |
| Location: | Massachusetts and Wisconsin Aves. NW, Washington, DC, USA |
| Metro: | Cleveland Park or Tenleytown |
| Phone: | 202/537-6207 |
| Website: | www.cathedral.org/cathedral |
| Hours: | Early May-early Sept., weekdays 10-5, Sat. 10-4:30, Sun. 8-5; early Sept.-early May, daily 10-5. |
| Cost: | Suggested tour donation $3 |
| Services: | Sun: 8, 9, 10, 11 & 4; evening prayer daily at 4:30 |
| Tours: | every 15 min Mon.-Sat. 10-11:30 and 12:45-3:15, Sun. 12:45-2:30 |
Location Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of the Washington National Cathedral. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Washington D.C. Map or get our free Google Earth download.
Sources
- Wikipedia, used under GFDL.
- Fodor's Washington D.C.
- Washington National Cathedral: A National House of Prayer for All People – official website
More Information
- Episcopal Diocese of Washington – official website
