The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington, commonly known as Washington National Cathedral, is an American
cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...
of the
Episcopal Church. The cathedral is located in
Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The structure is of
Neo-Gothic design closely modeled on English Gothic style of the late fourteenth century. It is the
second-largest church building in the United States,
and the
third-tallest building in Washington, D.C. The cathedral is the seat of both the
Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church,
Michael Bruce Curry, and the bishop of the
Diocese of Washington,
Mariann Edgar Budde
Mariann Edgar Budde (born December 10, 1959) is the diocesan bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. She was consecrated as the ninth Bishop of Washington in the Washington National Cathedral on November 12, 2011. Prior to her election ...
. Over 270,000 people visit the structure annually.
The
Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, under the first seven Bishops of Washington, erected the cathedral under a charter passed by the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washi ...
on January 6, 1893. Construction began on September 29, 1907, when the
foundation stone was laid in the presence of President
Theodore Roosevelt and a crowd of more than 20,000, and ended 83 years later when the "final
finial" was placed in the presence of President
George H. W. Bush in 1990. Decorative and restorative work, particularly of damage from the
2011 Virginia earthquake, is ongoing as of 2022. The Foundation is the legal entity of which all institutions on the Cathedral Close are a part; its corporate staff provides services for the institutions to help enable their missions, conducts work of the Foundation itself that is not done by the other entities, and serves as staff for the board of trustees.
The cathedral stands at
and
Wisconsin Avenues in the
northwest quadrant of Washington. It is an associate member of the recently organized inter-denominational
Washington Theological Consortium. It is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...
. In 2007, it was ranked third on the
List of America's Favorite Architecture by the
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to ...
.
History
Construction
In 1792,
Pierre L'Enfant
Pierre "Peter" Charles L'Enfant (; August 2, 1754June 14, 1825) was a French-American military engineer who designed the basic plan for Washington, D.C. (capital city of the United States) known today as the L'Enfant Plan (1791).
Early life an ...
's "
Plan of the Federal City" specified a site for a "great church for national purposes". However he defined it as non-sectarian and nondenominational. Hamilton modified that plan and eliminated the "church" and several other proposed monuments and that plan was never reproduced. The working plan for the new city was subsequently produced by Andrew Ellicott and it varied in many respects from L'Enfant's although the essence remained.
National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to:
*National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra
*National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred
*National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C.
*National Portrait Gallery, London, with s ...
now occupies that site. In 1891, a meeting was held to begin plans for an Episcopal cathedral in Washington. On January 6, 1893, the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation of the District of Columbia was granted a charter from Congress to establish the cathedral. The
52nd United States Congress declared in the act to incorporate the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation of the District of Columbia that the "said corporation is hereby empowered to establish and maintain within the District of Columbia a cathedral and institutions of learning for the promotion of religion and education and charity." The commanding site on Mount Saint Alban was chosen.
Henry Yates Satterlee, first Episcopal bishop of the Diocese of Washington, chose
George Frederick Bodley,
Britain's leading
Anglican church architect, as the head architect.
Henry Vaughan was selected supervising architect.
Construction started on 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
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, both Bodley and Vaughan had died. Gen.
John J. Pershing
General of the Armies John Joseph Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948), nicknamed "Black Jack", was a senior United States Army officer. He served most famously as the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) on the Wes ...
led fundraising efforts for the church after World War I. American architect
Philip Hubert Frohman took over the design of the cathedral and was thenceforth designated the principal architect. Funding for Washington National Cathedral has come entirely from private sources. Maintenance and upkeep continue to rely entirely upon private support.
National Cathedral under construction, Washington, D.C. LCCN2016890226.jpg
National Cathedral under construction, Washington, D.C. LCCN2016890227.jpg
National Cathedral under construction, Washington, D.C. LCCN2016890228.jpg
View of National Cathedral under construction, Washington, D.C. LCCN2016890225.jpg
National role
From its earliest days, the cathedral has been promoted as more than simply an Episcopal cathedral. Planners hoped it would play a role similar to
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...
. They wanted it to be a national shrine and a venue for great services. For much of the cathedral's history, this was captured in the phrase "a house of prayer for all people." In more recent times the phrases "national house of prayer" and "spiritual home for the nation" have been used. The cathedral has achieved this status simply by offering itself and being accepted by religious and political leaders as playing this role.
Its initial charter was similar to those granted to
American University,
The Catholic University of America, and other not-for-profit entities founded in the District of Columbia around 1900. Contrary to popular misconception, the government has not designated it as a national house of prayer.
During World War II, monthly services were held there "on behalf of a united people in a time of emergency." Before and since, the structure has hosted other major events, both religious and secular, that have drawn the attention of the American people, as well as tourists from around the world.
Major events
Major services
State funerals for four
American presidents have been held at the cathedral:
* 34th President
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1969):
lay in repose at the cathedral before
lying in state
* 40th President
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
(2004)
* 38th President
Gerald Ford (2007)
* 41st President
George H. W. Bush (2018)
Memorial services were also held at the cathedral for the following presidents:
* (29th)
Warren G. Harding
* (27th)
William Howard Taft
* (30th)
Calvin Coolidge
* (33rd)
Harry S. Truman
* (37th)
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was t ...
Presidential prayer services were held the day after the
inaugurations for:
* 32nd President
Franklin D. Roosevelt's second inauguration in January 1937
* 40th President
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
's second inauguration in 1985
* 41st President
George H. W. Bush's inauguration in 1989
* 43rd President
George W. Bush's first and second inaugurations in 2001 and 2005
* 44th President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
's first and second inaugurations in 2009 and 2013
* 45th President
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of ...
's inauguration in 2017
* 46th President
Joe Biden's inauguration in 2021
Other events have included:
* Funeral for former first lady
Edith Wilson (1961)
* Memorial service for former first lady
Eleanor Roosevelt (1962)
* Memorial service and interment of
Helen Keller (1968)
* Memorial service for the casualties of the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
on November 14, 1982
* Public funeral for Chief of Naval Operations,
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
, Admiral
Jeremy Michael Boorda (1996)
* Funeral for
Secretary of Commerce
The United States secretary of commerce (SecCom) is the head of the United States Department of Commerce. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to commerce. The secretary rep ...
Ronald Brown (1996)
* Funeral for U.S. Ambassador to France
Pamela Harriman (1997)
* Memorial service following the
death of Diana, Princess of Wales (September 6, 1997)
* Funeral for ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...
'' newspaper publisher
Katharine Graham (2001)
* Memorial service for the victims of the
September 11, 2001, attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...
* Special
evensong
Evensong is a church service traditionally held near sunset focused on singing psalms and other biblical canticles. In origin, it is identical to the canonical hour of vespers. Old English speakers translated the Latin word as , which becam ...
for the victims of the
Virginia Tech shooting
* Funeral for educator and national civil rights leader
Dorothy Height (2010)
* Memorial service for
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeedi ...
astronaut and first person on the Moon
Neil Armstrong
Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who became the first person to walk on the Moon in 1969. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor.
...
(2012)
* Funeral for
Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
Daniel Inouye of
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...
,
President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor ...
recipient (2012)
*Funeral for
Charles Colson
Charles Wendell Colson (October 16, 1931 – April 21, 2012), generally referred to as Chuck Colson, was an American attorney and political advisor who served as Special Counsel to President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1970. Once known as ...
, founder of Prison Fellowship (2012)
* Memorial service for former
South African President
The president of South Africa is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of South Africa. The president heads the executive branch of the Government of South Africa and is the commander-in-chief of the South African Na ...
and anti-apartheid activist
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...
(2014)
* Interfaith service of Prayer and Remembrance: The Fifteenth Anniversary of the
September 11, 2001, attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...
, Sunday September 11, 2016
* March for Our Lives Prayer Vigil: A vigil for "activists, students and pilgrims" participating in the
March for Our Lives anti-gun violence rally in Washington, D.C. and other cities, Friday March 23, 2018
* Funeral for U.S. Senator
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two ter ...
of
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...
(September 1, 2018)
*Service of Thanksgiving and Remembrance for
Matthew Shepard (October 26, 2018).
*Funeral for U.S. Army General (Ret.), Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former Secretary of State
Colin Powell (November 5, 2021).
*Funeral for U.S. Senator
Bob Dole of
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to ...
(December 10, 2021)
*Funeral for former
Secretary of State and diplomat
Madeleine Albright (April 27, 2022)
*Memorial service following the
death of Queen Elizabeth II
On 8 September 2022, at 15:10 BST, Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, and the longest-reigning British monarch, died of old age at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, at the age of 96. The Queen's death w ...
(September 21, 2022)
It was from Washington National Cathedral's "Canterbury Pulpit" that the Reverend
Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his final Sunday sermon on March 31, 1968, just a few days before his assassination in April 1968. A memorial service for King was held at the cathedral later the same week.
2011 earthquake
The cathedral was damaged in August 2011 during the
Virginia earthquake.
Finial stones on several pinnacles broke off, and several pinnacles twisted out of alignment or collapsed entirely. Some gargoyles and other carvings were damaged, and a hole was punched through the metal-clad roof by falling masonry. Cracks also appeared in the flying buttresses surrounding the apse. Inside, initial inspections revealed less damage, with some mortar joints loose or falling out.
The cathedral, which had no
earthquake insurance, struggled to cope with the cost of the damage.
Washington National Cathedral closed from August 24 to November 7, 2011,
as $2 million was spent to stabilize the structure and remove damaged or loose stone.
Safety netting was erected throughout the nave to protect visitors from any debris that might fall from above. The cathedral reopened for the consecration and installation of
Mariann Budde
Mariann Edgar Budde (born December 10, 1959) is the diocesan bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. She was consecrated as the ninth Bishop of Washington in the Washington National Cathedral on November 12, 2011. Prior to her election as ...
as the ninth Bishop of Washington on November 12, 2011.
At that time, estimates of the cost of the damage were about $25 million.
Identifying the full extent of the damage and construction planning and studies over the next two years consumed another $2.5 million.
In 2011, the cathedral received a $700,000 preservation work matching grant from the
Save America's Treasures program, a public-private partnership operated by the nonprofit
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 by ...
. The program, which is federally funded, required the cathedral to match the grant dollar-for-dollar with private funds and use the money solely for preservation work.
The Reverend Canon Gary R. Hall
Gary may refer to:
*Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
*Gary, Indiana, the largest city named Gary
Places
;Iran
*Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province
;Unit ...
was chosen to be the 10th dean of Washington National Cathedral in July 2012.
Although fundraising to repair the damage began soon after the earthquake, it took the cathedral three years to raise the $15 million to complete the first phase of repairs.
In August 2013, the cost of the repairs was re-estimated at $26 million. About $10 million had already been raised by this date to pay for the repairs, half of that coming from the Lilly Endowment. The cathedral began charging a $10 admission fee for tourists in January 2014, and started renting out its worship and other spaces to outside groups to raise cash. The cathedral also transformed the Herb Cottage (its old baptistry building adjacent to the cathedral) into a for-profit
coffeehouse operated by the Open City café chain.
Phase I of the restoration, which cost $10 million,
repaired the internal ceiling's stone and mortar and was completed in February 2015. The planned 10-year, $22 million Phase II will repair or replace the damaged stones atop the cathedral.
In June 2015, Washington National Cathedral leaders said the church needed $200 million, which would both complete repairs and establish a foundation to give the cathedral financial stability. The cathedral began working on a capital fundraising campaign, which ''The New York Times'' said was one of the largest ever by an American religious institution, to begin in 2018 or 2019. Hall said that the cathedral also planned to reopen its continuing education college and its Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage (a space on the cathedral's crypt level dedicated to prayer, meditation, and devotional practice). After three years of deficit spending, however, the cathedral also announced additional cuts to music programs to balance its budget.
Lee-Jackson stained glass windows
In June 2016, after an examination by a five-person task force, it was announced that two Confederate battle flag images would be removed from stained glass windows commemorating the lives of Confederate generals
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Nort ...
and
Stonewall Jackson
Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nearl ...
. The windows were installed in 1953 after lobbying by the
United Daughters of the Confederacy. In its report, the task force wrote that it "is unanimous in its decision that the windows provide a catalyst for honest discussions about race and the legacy of slavery and for addressing the uncomfortable and too often avoided issues of race in America. Moreover, the windows serve as a profound witness to the cathedral's own complex history in relationship to race."
On September 6, 2017, the cathedral, in a statement signed by the Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, dean of the cathedral, and John Donoghue, chair of the cathedral chapter, announced its decision to deconsecrate and remove the stained glass windows honoring Lee and Jackson.
Financial concerns
In January 2003, the Reverend
Nathan D. Baxter,
dean of the cathedral, announced his retirement effective from June 30, 2003. Baxter had led the cathedral since 1991. After an 18-month search,
Samuel T. Lloyd III
Samuel T. Lloyd III (born 1950Dias, Elizabeth"Hope Amid Disaster: Sermons After the Boston Bombings : In the wake of the deadly terror attack at the Boston Marathon, pastors and religious leaders across the country share their plans for comforting ...
was named dean and began his tenure on April 23, 2005. Using a $15 million bequest the cathedral received in 2000, Lloyd rapidly expanded the cathedral's programming.
Meanwhile, the cathedral deferred maintenance and declined to make needed repairs.
Construction also began in summer 2005 on a $34 million, four-level, 430-car underground parking garage. It opened in 2007.
The structure was pushed by
John Bryson Chane
John Bryson Chane (born May 13, 1944) is a retired bishop of the Episcopal Church. The eighth diocesan bishop of Washington, he was consecrated at Washington National Cathedral on June 1, 2002, leading the Episcopal Diocese of Washington un ...
, bishop of the
Episcopal Diocese of Washington, and was mostly funded by debt. Payments on the garage were $500,000 per year, with a major increase in the annual debt service beginning in 2017.
In early 2008, the National Cathedral Association, the church's fundraising donor network, was disbanded after cathedral leaders concluded that the building was "finished" and it was no longer necessary to raise significant funds for construction.
The 2008–2009
Great Recession
The Great Recession was a period of marked general decline, i.e. a recession, observed in national economies globally that occurred from late 2007 into 2009. The scale and timing of the recession varied from country to country (see map). At ...
hit the cathedral hard. By June 2010, the cathedral cut its budget from $27 million to $13 million,
outsourced the operation of its
gift shop, shut its greenhouse, cancelled its plans to replace the Skinner organ in the sanctuary, and ceased operation of the College of Preachers that had provided Episcopal clergy nationwide with continuing theological education. The cathedral also laid off 100 of its 170 staff members, including its art
conservator and its liturgist (who researched and advocated the use of
liturgies at the cathedral).
It also significantly cut back on programming, music performances, and classes.
To help stabilize its finances, the cathedral began an $11 million fundraising campaign and used $2.5 million of its $50 million endowment to plug budget holes.
The National Cathedral Association was recreated as well.
In June 2010, the cathedral announced that it was exploring the sale of its rare book collection, the value of which was estimated to be several million dollars.
It sold a number of books to a private collector in 2011 for $857,000
and in 2013 donated most of the remaining collection to
Virginia Theological Seminary.
As the economic downturn continued, a report by cathedral staff identified $30 million in needed maintenance and repairs.
Among the problems were cracked and missing mortar in the oldest sections of the building; broken
HVAC, mechanical, and plumbing systems throughout the structure; extensive preservation needs; and a main organ in disrepair.
Repointing the building was estimated to cost at least $5 million, while organ repair was set at $15 million.
Architecture
The cathedral's final design shows a mix of influences from the various
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
architectural styles of the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, identifiable in its pointed
arches,
flying buttresses, a variety of ceiling
vaulting,
stained-glass
Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
windows and carved decorations in stone, and by its three similar towers, two on the west front and one surmounting the
crossing.
The structure consists of a long, narrow rectangular mass formed by a nine-
bay
A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-typ ...
with wide side aisles and a five-bay
chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse.
...
, intersected by a six-bay
transept. Above the crossing, rising above the ground, is the Gloria in Excelsis Tower; its top, at above
sea level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...
, is the highest point in Washington.
The Pilgrim Observation Gallery—which occupies a space about 3/4ths of the way up in the west-end towers—provides sweeping views of the city. Unique in North America, the central tower has two full sets of bells—a 53-bell
carillon and a 10-bell peal for
change ringing; the change bells are rung by members of the Washington Ringing Society.
The cathedral sits on a landscaped plot on Mount Saint Alban.
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 wide.
Most of the building is constructed using a buff-colored
Indiana limestone over a traditional masonry core. Structural, load-bearing steel is limited to the roof's trusses (traditionally built of timber); concrete is used significantly in the support structures for bells of the central tower, and the floors in the west towers.
The
pulpit
A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...
was carved out of stones from
Canterbury Cathedral;
Glastonbury Abbey provided stone for the bishop's formal seat, the
cathedra. The high altar, the Jerusalem Altar, is made from stones quarried at
Solomon's Quarry
Zedekiah's Cave—also called Solomon's Quarries—is a underground meleke limestone quarry that runs the length of five city blocks under the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. It was carved over a period of several thousand years a ...
near
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
, reputedly where the stones for
Solomon's Temple were quarried. In the floor directly in front of that altar are set ten stones from the Chapel of Moses on
Mount Sinai, representing the Ten Commandments as a foundation for the Jerusalem Altar.
There are many other works of art including over two hundred stained glass windows,
the most familiar of which may be the Space Window, honoring mankind's
landing on the Moon, which includes a fragment of
lunar rock at its center;
the rock was presented at the dedication service on July 21, 1974, the fifth anniversary of the
Apollo 11
Apollo 11 (July 16–24, 1969) was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module ''Eagle'' on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, a ...
mission. Extensive wrought iron adorns the building, much of it the work of
Samuel Yellin
Samuel Yellin (1884–1940), was an American master blacksmith, and metal designer.
Career
Samuel Yellin was born to a Jewish family in Mohyliv-Podilskyi, Ukraine in the Russian Empire in 1884. At the age of eleven, he was apprenticed to a ...
. A substantial gate of forged iron and carbon steel by
Albert Paley was installed on the north side of the crypt level in 2008. Intricate woodcarving, wall-sized murals and mosaics, and monumental cast bronze gates can also be found. Most of the interior decorative elements have Christian symbolism, in reference to the church's Episcopal roots, but the cathedral is filled with memorials to persons or events of national significance: statues of
Washington and
Lincoln, state seals embedded in the marble floor of the
narthex, state flags that hang along the nave, stained glass commemorating events like the
Lewis and Clark expedition and the raising of the
American flag at Iwo Jima.
The cathedral was built with several intentional "flaws" in keeping with an apocryphal medieval custom that sought to illustrate that only God can be perfect. Artistically speaking, these flaws (which often come in the form of intentional asymmetries) draw the observer's focus to the
sacred geometry as well as compensate for visual distortions, a practice that has been used since the
Pyramids and the
Parthenon. The architects designed the crypt chapels in Norman, Romanesque, and Transitional styles predating the Gothic, as though the cathedral had been built as a successor to earlier churches, a common occurrence in European cathedrals.
Numerous
grotesques and
gargoyles adorn the exterior, most of them designed by the carvers; one of the more famous of these is a caricature of then-master carver
Roger Morigi
Roger (Ruggiero) Morigi (4 October 1907 – 12 January 1995) was an Italian-born American stone carver and architectural sculptor. He made major contributions to Washington National Cathedral and other Washington, D.C. buildings. He was the tea ...
on the north exterior of the nave. There were also two competitions held for the public to provide designs to supplement those of the carvers. The second of these produced the famous
Darth Vader grotesque which is high on the northwest tower, sculpted by Jay Hall Carpenter and carved by Patrick J. Plunkett.
The west facade follows an iconographic program of Creation rather than that of the
Last Judgement as was traditional in medieval churches. All of the sculptural work was designed by
Frederick Hart and features tympanum carvings of the creation of the Sun and Moon over the outer doors and the creation of man over the center. Hart also sculpted the three statues of Adam and Saints Peter and Paul. The west doors are cast bronze rather than wrought iron. The west rose window, often used as a trademark of the cathedral, was designed by Rowan LeCompte and is an abstract depiction of the creation of light. LeCompte, who also designed the clerestory windows and the mosaics in the Resurrection Chapel, chose a nonrepresentational design because he feared that a figural window could fail to be seen adequately from the great distance to the nave.
The cathedral contains a basement, which was intentionally flooded during the
Cuban Missile Crisis to provide emergency drinking water in the event of a
nuclear war
Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a theoretical military conflict or prepared political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conventional warfare, nuclear w ...
.
Architects
The cathedral's master plan was designed by
George Frederick Bodley (founder of
Watts & Co.), a highly regarded British Gothic Revival architect of the late-19th and early-20th centuries, and was influenced by Canterbury. Landscape architect
Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.
Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. (July 24, 1870 – December 25, 1957) was an American landscape architect and city planner known for his wildlife conservation efforts. He had a lifetime commitment to national parks, and worked on projects in Acadia, t ...
contributed a landscaping plan for the cathedral close and
Nellie B. Allen
Nellie Beatrice Osborn Allen (1874–1961) was an American landscape architect. She is known for her knot gardens.
Early life and education
Allen was born on October 23, 1874, in Cameron, Missouri, to David and Pauline Osborn, who were original ...
designed a knot garden for the Bishop's Garden. After Bodley died in 1907, his partner
Henry Vaughan revised the original design, but work stopped during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
and Vaughan died in 1917.
When work resumed after
the war, the chapter hired Boston architecture firm Frohman, Robb and Little to execute the building.
Philip Hubert Frohman, who had designed his first fully functional home at age 14 and received his architectural degree at age 16, and his partners worked to perfect Bodley's vision, adding the carillon section of the central tower, enlarging the west
façade
A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loan word from the French (), which means 'frontage' or ' face'.
In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important aspect ...
, and making numerous smaller changes.
Ralph Adams Cram
Ralph Adams Cram (December 16, 1863 – September 22, 1942) was a prolific and influential American architect of collegiate and ecclesiastical buildings, often in the Gothic Revival style. Cram & Ferguson and Cram, Goodhue & Ferguson are partner ...
was hired to supervise Frohman, because of his experience with the
Cathedral of St. John the Divine,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
, but Cram insisted on so many major changes to the original design that Frohman convinced the cathedral chapter to fire him. By Frohman's death in 1972, the final plans had been completed and the building was finished accordingly.
Images of architectural details
File:Donation thanks engraving The Washington National Cathedral.jpg, Donation Thanks Engraving
File:Narthex vaulting in Washington National Cathedral.jpg, Vaulting in northwest cloister
File:Pilgrim Observation Gallery Washington National Cathedral.jpg, Pilgrim Observation Gallery
File:Buttresses The Washington National Cathedral.jpg, Flying buttresses
File:The Washington National Cathedral at Sunset.JPG, Side view of The Washington National Cathedral, with earthquake construction
File:Ohio placard in entrance hall of the Washington National Cathedral.JPG, There is a placard A placard is a notice installed in a public place, like a small card, sign, or plaque. It can be attached to or hung from a vehicle or building to indicate information about the vehicle operator or contents of a vehicle or building. It can also refe ...
for every state from the United States
File:Lee lawrie washington.jpg, Statue of George Washington (by Lee Lawrie
Lee Oscar Lawrie (October 16, 1877 – January 23, 1963) was an American architectural sculptor and a key figure in the American art scene preceding World War II. Over his long career of more than 300 commissions Lawrie's style evolved through ...
)
File:SpaceWindow.jpg, The Space Window
File:GITMO Washington National Cathedral.jpg, GITMO stone inscribed in 1964 as a gift to the cathedral from those at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
File:Mount Sinai stone at The Washington National Cathedral.jpg, Mount Sinai stone
File:Womens Stone Washington National Cathedral.jpg, Women's porch
File:Tympanum Washington National Cathedral.jpg, South transept tympanum
File:South portal sculpture Washington National Cathedral.jpg, Detail of figures flanking south doors
File:Painting of Jesus' burial at Washington National Cathedral.JPG, Encaustic mural of the burial of Jesus in the Chapel of St. Joseph of Arimathea
File:Robert E Lee Stain Glass.JPG, Stained glass window depicting major events of the life of Confederate General Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Nort ...
File:Stonewall Jackson Stain Glass.JPG, Stained glass window depicting the life of Stonewall Jackson
Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nearl ...
File:Charles Warren Stain Glass.JPG, Stained glass depicting Charles Warren
File:Stain Glass Andrew Mellon.JPG, Stained glass dedicated to Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans in ...
File:Darth vader grotesque.jpg, Darth Vader Grotesque
File:Washington National Cathedral crucifix above main altar.JPG, The rood in the chancel arch, high above the screen separating the nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-typ ...
from the choir
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which s ...
Leadership and funding
The cathedral is both the
episcopal seat of the Bishop of Washington (currently
the Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde
Mariann Edgar Budde (born December 10, 1959) is the diocesan bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. She was consecrated as the ninth Bishop of Washington in the Washington National Cathedral on November 12, 2011. Prior to her election ...
) and the
primatial seat of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church (currently
the Most Reverend Michael Curry). Budde was elected by the Diocese of Washington in June 2011, to replace Bishop
John Bryson Chane
John Bryson Chane (born May 13, 1944) is a retired bishop of the Episcopal Church. The eighth diocesan bishop of Washington, he was consecrated at Washington National Cathedral on June 1, 2002, leading the Episcopal Diocese of Washington un ...
; upon her confirmation in November 2011 she became the ninth bishop of the diocese and the first woman to fill the role.
The
National Cathedral Association (NCA) seeks to raise and provide funds for and promote the Washington National Cathedral. Across the United States, it has more than 14,000 members, more than 88 percent of whom live outside the Washington area, and who are divided into committees by
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* '' Our ...
. Visitors to the cathedral provide another significant source of funds, through donations and group touring fees. Every year, each state has a state day at the cathedral, on which that state is recognized by name in the prayers. Over a span of about four years, each state is further recognized at a Major State Day, at which time those who live in the state are encouraged to make a
pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
to the cathedral and dignitaries from the state are invited to speak. American state flags were displayed in the
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-typ ...
until 2007; currently the display of the state flags alternates throughout the year with the display of liturgical banners hung on the pillars, reflecting the seasons of the Church year.
The budget, $27 million in 2008, was trimmed to $13 million in 2010. Staff was reduced from 170 to 70. There was an endowment of $50 million.
List of deans
In May 2016,
Randolph Marshall Hollerith
Randolph Marshall "Randy" Hollerith MStJ (born 1963) is an American Episcopal priest. Since August 2016, he has been the Dean of Washington National Cathedral, the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and the seat of the Presiding ...
was named as the next
dean of the cathedral.
Hollerith came to the National Cathedral from
St. James Episcopal Church in
Richmond, Virginia
(Thus do we reach the stars)
, image_map =
, mapsize = 250 px
, map_caption = Location within Virginia
, pushpin_map = Virginia#USA
, pushpin_label = Richmond
, pushpin_m ...
, where he was rector from 2000 to 2016.
Former deans:
*
Alfred Harding
Alfred Ernest Harding (1861–1942) was an independent conservative Member of Parliament in New Zealand.
Political career
He won the North Auckland electorate of in the and held it to , when he was defeated by the Liberal candidate, Joh ...
(''de facto''; 1909–1916)
*
George C. F. Bratenahl (1916–1936)
*
Noble C. Powell
Noble Cilley Powell (October 27, 1891 – November 28, 1968), was a prominent leader in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, who served as the ninth Bishop of Maryland.
Early life and education
Powell was born on October 27, 189 ...
(1937–1941)
*
ZeBarney T. Phillips (1941–1942)
*
John W. Suter
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
(1944–1950)
*
Francis B. Sayre Jr.
Francis Bowes Sayre Jr. (January 17, 1915 – October 3, 2008) was Dean of the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., for 27 years. He was the first grandchild of President Woodrow Wilson.
He was a vocal opponent of segregation, ...
(1951–1978)
*
John T. Walker (1978–1989; simultaneously bishop)
*
Nathan D. Baxter (1991–2003)
*
Samuel T. Lloyd III
Samuel T. Lloyd III (born 1950Dias, Elizabeth"Hope Amid Disaster: Sermons After the Boston Bombings : In the wake of the deadly terror attack at the Boston Marathon, pastors and religious leaders across the country share their plans for comforting ...
(2005–2011)
*
Gary R. Hall
Gary may refer to:
*Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
*Gary, Indiana, the largest city named Gary
Places
;Iran
*Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province
;Unit ...
(2012–2015)
*
Randolph Marshall Hollerith
Randolph Marshall "Randy" Hollerith MStJ (born 1963) is an American Episcopal priest. Since August 2016, he has been the Dean of Washington National Cathedral, the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and the seat of the Presiding ...
(2016–present)
Worship
The worship department is, like the cathedral itself, rooted in the doctrine and practice of the Episcopal Church, and based in the ''
Book of Common Prayer
The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christianity, Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 ...
''. Three services are held each weekday, including the daily Eucharist. Sunday through Thursday, the cathedral choirs sing
Evensong
Evensong is a church service traditionally held near sunset focused on singing psalms and other biblical canticles. In origin, it is identical to the canonical hour of vespers. Old English speakers translated the Latin word as , which becam ...
. The 40-minute service is attended by roughly 50 to 75 people, with more on Sunday. Three services of the Eucharist are held on Sunday, along with Choral Evensong.
The cathedral also has been a temporary home to several congregations, including a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
synagogue
A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of wor ...
and an
Eastern Orthodox community. It has also been the site for several
ecumenical and interfaith services. In October 2005, at the cathedral, the Rev.
Nancy Wilson was consecrated and installed as moderator (denominational executive) of the
Metropolitan Community Church, by its founding moderator, the Rev.
Troy Perry
Troy Deroy Perry Jr (born July 27, 1940) is the founder of the Metropolitan Community Church, with a ministry with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities, in Los Angeles on October 6, 1968.
Early life
Troy Perry is the eldest ...
.
Each Christmas, the cathedral holds special services, which are
broadcast to the world. The service of lessons and
carols is distributed by
Public Radio International
Public Radio International (PRI) was an American public radio organization. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, PRI provided programming to over 850 public radio stations in the United States.
PRI was one of the main providers of programmin ...
. ''Christmas at Washington National Cathedral'' is a live television broadcast of the 9:00 a.m. Eucharist on Christmas Day. It is produced by
WJLA-TV and is shown on national affiliates in most cities around the United States. Some affiliates broadcast the service at noon. The Christmas service at the cathedral was broadcast to the nation on television from 1953 until 2010 and is still webcast live from the cathedral's homepage.
Music
The Washington National Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys, founded in 1909, is one of very few cathedral choirs of men and boys in the United States with an affiliated school, in the English choir tradition. The eighteen to twenty-two boys singing treble are of ages 8 to 14 and attend
St. Albans School, the Cathedral school for boys, on vocal scholarships.
In 1997, the Cathedral Choir of Men and Girls was formed by Bruce Neswick, using the same men as the choir of the men and boys. The Choir consists of middle and high school girls attending the
National Cathedral School
National Cathedral School (NCS) is an independent Episcopal private day school for girls in grades 4–12 located on the grounds of the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by philanthropist and suffragist Phoe ...
on vocal scholarships. The two choirs currently share service duties and occasionally collaborate.
Both choirs have recently recorded several
CDs, including a
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
; a U.S. premiere recording of
Ståle Kleiberg
Ståle Kleiberg (born 8 March 1958) is a contemporary classical composer and musicologist from Norway.
Biography
Kleiberg was born in Stavanger in 1958. He graduated from the University of Oslo with a degree in musicology and later from the Norw ...
's ''Requiem for the Victims of
Nazi Persecution''; and a
patriotic album, ''America the Beautiful''.
The choirs rehearse separately every weekday morning in a graded class incorporated into their school schedule. The choristers sing
Evensong
Evensong is a church service traditionally held near sunset focused on singing psalms and other biblical canticles. In origin, it is identical to the canonical hour of vespers. Old English speakers translated the Latin word as , which becam ...
five days a week (the Boys Choir on Tuesdays and Thursdays and the Girls Choir on Mondays and Wednesdays). The choirs alternate Sunday worship duties, singing both morning
Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was institu ...
and afternoon Evensong when they are on call. The choirs also sing for numerous state and national events. The choirs are also featured annually on ''Christmas at Washington National Cathedral'', broadcast nationally on Christmas Day.
The Great
Organ
Organ may refer to:
Biology
* Organ (biology), a part of an organism
Musical instruments
* Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone
** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument
** Hammond ...
was installed by the
Ernest M. Skinner
Ernest Martin Skinner (January 15, 1866 – November 26/27, 1960) was an American pipe organ builder. His electro-pneumatic switching systems advanced the technology of organ building in the first part of the 20th century.
Biography
Skinner ...
& Son Organ Company in 1938. The original instrument consisted of approximately 8,400 pipes. The instrument was enlarged by the
Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company in 1963 and again between 1970 and 1975, during which time more than half of the original instrument was removed. The present instrument consists of 189 ranks and 10,647 pipes.
The organ was to be replaced with a new instrument built by
Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, but this plan was scrapped in 2009. As of 2018, it is currently unknown whether the organ replacement will take place.
Michael McCarthy is the canon director of music, Thomas Sheehan is the cathedral organist and associate director of music, and George Fergus is the Assistant Organist. The
carillonneur is Edward M. Nassor. Former organists and choirmasters include
Edgar Priest
Edgar is a commonly used English given name, from an Anglo-Saxon name ''Eadgar'' (composed of ''wikt:en:ead, ead'' "rich, prosperous" and ''Gar (spear), gar'' "spear").
Like most Anglo-Saxon names, it fell out of use by the later medieval per ...
,
Robert George Barrow
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
,
Paul Callaway
Paul Smith Callaway, (August 16, 1909 – March 21, 1995) was a prominent American organist and choral conductor, particularly well known for his thirty-eight years at the Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C., between 1939–1977 ...
,
Richard Wayne Dirksen
Richard Wayne Dirksen (February 8, 1921 - July 26, 2003) was an American musician and composer, who served as organist and choirmaster of the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., from 1977 to 1988. Previously he was assistant organis ...
,
Douglas Major
Douglas R. Major (born 1953 in Berwick, Pennsylvania) is a prominent American composer of sacred music and concert organist. He is the former choral director and organist at the Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C., where he frequently ...
, Bruce Neswick,
James Litton, Erik Wm. Suter,
Scott Dettra Scott Dettra (born March 17, 1975) is an American concert organist and church musician. He tours in North America and Europe, and is former Director of Music and Organist at the Church of the Incarnation in Dallas, Texas. He is also Organist of Th ...
, Christopher Betts and Benjamin Straley.
The resident symphonic chorus of Washington National Cathedral is the
Cathedral Choral Society
The Cathedral Choral Society is a 200-voice symphonic, volunteer chorus based at the Washington National Cathedral. The late J. Reilly Lewis was music director from 1985-2016. He succeeded Paul Callaway, who founded the group in 1941. The ensemb ...
.
The cathedral is unique in North America in having both a
carillon and a set of
change ringing bells.
The ring of 10 bells (tenor in D) are hung in the English style for
full circle ringing. All ten were cast in 1962 by Mears & Stainbank (now known as The
Whitechapel Bell Foundry) of London, England.
The carillon has 53 bells ranging from to and was manufactured by
John Taylor & Co of Loughborough, England in 1963. The bells are hung ''dead'', meaning rigidly fixed, and are struck on the inside by hammers activated from the keyboard.
Burials
Several notable American citizens are buried in Washington National Cathedral and its
columbarium:
*
Larz Anderson (ashes), diplomat, art collector. His wife
Isabel Weld Perkins is entombed with him in the cathedral's St. Mary Chapel.
*
Thomas John Claggett, first bishop of the
Episcopal Diocese of Maryland
*
William Forman Creighton, fifth
bishop of Washington
The Episcopal Diocese of Washington is a diocese of the Episcopal Church (USA), Episcopal Church covering Washington, D.C. and nearby counties of Maryland in the United States. With a membership of over 38,000, the diocese is led by the Bishop o ...
*
Joseph E. Davies
Joseph Edward Davies (November 29, 1876 – May 9, 1958) was an American lawyer and diplomat. He was appointed by President Wilson to be Commissioner of Corporations in 1912, and First Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission in 1915. He was t ...
(ashes), diplomat, presidential adviser. He gave a stained-glass window in the cathedral in honor of his mother,
Rachel Davies (Rahel o Fôn)
Rachel Davies ("Rahel o Fôn"; born Rachel Evans Paynter; August 25, 1846 – November 29, 1915) was a Welsh-born lecturer and evangelist preacher who emigrated to the United States. She was the first woman minister ordained in the state of Wiscons ...
*
George Dewey,
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
admiral
*
Angus Dun (ashes), fourth
bishop of Washington
The Episcopal Diocese of Washington is a diocese of the Episcopal Church (USA), Episcopal Church covering Washington, D.C. and nearby counties of Maryland in the United States. With a membership of over 38,000, the diocese is led by the Bishop o ...
*
Philip H. Frohman
Philip Hubert Frohman (November 16, 1887 – October 30, 1972) was an architect who is most widely known for his work on the Washington National Cathedral, named, the "Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul" in Washington, D.C. He worked on ...
(ashes), cathedral architect, following the death of
Bodley
*
George A. Garrett
George Angus Garrett (August 5, 1888 – September 29, 1971) was an American investment banker and diplomat. In April 1947, he was appointed minister to Ireland; in 1950, he became the first United States Ambassador to Ireland, a position he hel ...
, diplomat, first
United States Ambassador to Ireland
*
Julia Dent Cantacuzène Spiransky-Grant
Julia Dent Grant Cantacuzène Speransky, Princess Cantacuzène, Countess Speransky (June 6, 1876 – October 4, 1975), was an American author and historian. She was the eldest child of Frederick Dent Grant and his wife Ida Marie Honoré, and the ...
, granddaughter of President
Ulysses S. Grant
*
Alfred Harding
Alfred Ernest Harding (1861–1942) was an independent conservative Member of Parliament in New Zealand.
Political career
He won the North Auckland electorate of in the and held it to , when he was defeated by the Liberal candidate, Joh ...
, second
Bishop of Washington
The Episcopal Diocese of Washington is a diocese of the Episcopal Church (USA), Episcopal Church covering Washington, D.C. and nearby counties of Maryland in the United States. With a membership of over 38,000, the diocese is led by the Bishop o ...
*
Cordell Hull
Cordell Hull (October 2, 1871July 23, 1955) was an American politician from Tennessee and the longest-serving U.S. Secretary of State, holding the position for 11 years (1933–1944) in the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt ...
,
United States Secretary of State
The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's ...
*
Helen Keller (ashes), author, lecturer, advocate for the blind and deaf
*
John Raleigh Mott, evangelist and leader of the YMCA and World Christian Student Federation
*
A.S. Mike Monroney
Almer Stillwell "Mike" Monroney (March 2, 1902February 13, 1980) was an American politician who served as a United States senator from Oklahoma from 1951 to 1969, and previously as the United States representative for Oklahoma's 5th congressional ...
(ashes), U.S. representative, senator
*
Joe Allbritton, banker, publisher and philanthropist
*
Norman Prince
Norman Prince (August 31, 1887 – October 15, 1916) was an American aviator and leading founder of France's Lafayette Escadrille.
Biography
He was born on August 31, 1887 in Beverly, Massachusetts. He was son of Frederick Henry Prince.
...
, fighter pilot, member of the
Lafayette Escadrille flying corps
*
Henry Y. Satterlee
Henry Yates Satterlee (January 11, 1843 – February 22, 1908) was the first Episcopal Bishop of Washington,[bishop of Washington
The Episcopal Diocese of Washington is a diocese of the Episcopal Church (USA), Episcopal Church covering Washington, D.C. and nearby counties of Maryland in the United States. With a membership of over 38,000, the diocese is led by the Bishop o ...](_blank)
*
Francis Bowes Sayre Jr.
Francis Bowes Sayre Jr. (January 17, 1915 – October 3, 2008) was Dean of the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., for 27 years. He was the first grandchild of President Woodrow Wilson.
He was a vocal opponent of segregation, p ...
(ashes), dean of the cathedral and grandson of President
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of P ...
, also interred there
*
Matthew Shepard (ashes), notable LGBT figure, victim of a hate crime
*
John Wesley Snyder
John Wesley Snyder (June 21, 1895October 8, 1985) was an American businessman and senior federal government official. Thanks to a close personal friendship with President Harry S Truman, Snyder became United States Secretary of the Treasury, Sec ...
, Secretary of the Treasury in the
Truman administration
*
Leo Sowerby (ashes), composer, church musician
*
Anne Sullivan
Anne Sullivan Macy (born as Johanna Mansfield Sullivan; April 14, 1866 – October 20, 1936) was an American teacher best known for being the instructor and lifelong companion of Helen Keller.Herrmann, Dorothy. ''Helen Keller: A Life'', Alfred ...
(ashes), tutor and companion to Helen Keller, first woman interred here
*
Stuart Symington,
U.S. senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
, presidential candidate
*
Henry Vaughan, architect, associate of
Bodley
*
John T. Walker, sixth
bishop of Washington
The Episcopal Diocese of Washington is a diocese of the Episcopal Church (USA), Episcopal Church covering Washington, D.C. and nearby counties of Maryland in the United States. With a membership of over 38,000, the diocese is led by the Bishop o ...
*
Thomas C. Wasson
Thomas Campbell Wasson (February 8, 1896 – 23 May 1948) was an American diplomat who was assassinated while serving as the Consul General for the United States in Jerusalem. He was also a member of the United Nations Truce Commission.
Bio ...
, diplomat and consul general for the United States in Jerusalem
*
Isabel Weld Perkins (ashes), author, wife of
Larz Anderson
*
Edith Wilson, second wife of Woodrow Wilson and
First Lady of the United States
*
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of P ...
, 28th
president of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...
. Wilson's tomb includes variants on the
Seal of the President of the United States and the
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in it ...
of
Princeton University and
Davidson College. Wilson is the only American president buried in the District of Columbia.
Schools
There are three private
Episcopal
Episcopal may refer to:
*Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church
*Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese
*Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name
** Episcopal Church (United State ...
schools on the grounds of Washington National Cathedral.
*
Beauvoir School, a
co-ed school serving preschool through 3rd grade
*
St. Albans School, an
all-boys school serving grades
four through
twelve
*
National Cathedral School
National Cathedral School (NCS) is an independent Episcopal private day school for girls in grades 4–12 located on the grounds of the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by philanthropist and suffragist Phoe ...
, an all-girls school serving grades four through twelve
Media
The cathedral played a major role in
The West Wing season 2 finale
Two Cathedrals. In a scene following the funeral of a major character, President Bartlet engages in a one-sided argument with God which seamlessly blends English and Latin dialogue.
See also
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List of the Episcopal cathedrals of the United States
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List of cathedrals in the United States
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All Hallows Guild Carousel
The All Hallows Guild Carousel or simply the Traveling Carousel is a historic carousel housed at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. since 1963. Previously, it was a "county fair" carousel operated by Clifford Sandretzky as part of a trave ...
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Washington National Cathedral Police
The Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation Police, commonly known as the Washington National Cathedral Police, is a small private police force responsible for protecting the land of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, which mainly ...
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Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
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Church Center for the United Nations
The Church Center for the United Nations is a private building founded, owned, and operated by the United Methodist Church as an interfaith space housing the offices of various religions as well as several non-governmental organizations. It is at ...
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Architecture of Washington, D.C.
References
Bibliography
* Marjorie Hunt, ''The Stone Carvers: Master Craftsmen of Washington National Cathedral'' (Smithsonian, 1999).
* David Hein, ''Noble Powell and the Episcopal Establishment in the Twentieth Century''. Foreword by Peter W. Williams. Urbana: Univ. of Illinois Press, 2001; Eugene, Ore.: Wipf & Stock, 2007. Includes a chapter on Powell when he was dean of WNC and warden of the College of Preachers.
* ''Step by Step and Stone by Stone: The History of the Washington National Cathedral'' (WNC, 1990).
* ''A Guide to the Washington Cathedral'' (National Cathedral Association, 1945).
* Peter W. Williams, ''Houses of God: Region, Religion, and Architecture in the United States'' (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1997).
* ''Cathedral Age'' (magazine).
External links
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*
Episcopal Diocese of Washington*
ttp://www.cathedral.org/pdfs/darth.pdf ''What does Darth Vader have to do with the Cathedral?''Outdoor sculptures at the Washington National CathedralWashington National CathedralDocumentary produced by
WETA-TV
Three Things That Happened at the Nationals Cathedrallog post by Ghosts of DC
Video showing exterior and interior of the Cathedralfrom 2016
{{Authority control
20th-century Episcopal church buildings
Anglican cemeteries in the United States
Bell towers in the United States
Carillons
Cathedrals in Washington, D.C.
Cemeteries in Washington, D.C.
Churches completed in 1990
Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C.
Episcopal cathedrals in the United States
Episcopal churches in Washington, D.C.
George Frederick Bodley church buildings
Gothic Revival church buildings in Washington, D.C.
Presidential churches in the United States
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