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Washington National Cathedral

January 01, 1970

"National Cathedral" redirects here. For the national cathedral of the Philippine Independent Church, see Iglesia Filipina Independiente National Cathedral.

The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington, commonly known as Washington National Cathedral or National Cathedral, is an American cathedral of the Episcopal Church. The cathedral is located in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States.[1][2] 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,[3] 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. Over 270,000 people visit the structure annually.[4]

Washington National Cathedral
Washington National Cathedral is officially dedicated as the "Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington"
LocationWisconsin Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C., United States
Coordinates38°55′50″N 77°4′15″W / 38.93056°N 77.07083°W / 38.93056; -77.07083
Built1906; 118 years ago (1906) to
1988; 36 years ago (1988)
ArchitectGeorge Frederick Bodley, Philip Hubert Frohman
Architectural styleNeo-Gothic
NRHP reference No.74002170
Added to NRHPMay 3, 1974
Exterior view
The west rose window was dedicated in 1977 in the presence of both the 39th President, Jimmy Carter, and Queen Elizabeth II (as Supreme Governor of the Church of England).

The Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, under the first seven Bishops of Washington, erected the cathedral under a charter passed by the United States Congress on January 6, 1893.[5] 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 a nearby earthquake in 2011, is ongoing as of 2024. 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 Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues in the northwest quadrant of Washington. It is an associate member of the recently organized inter-denominational Washington Theological Consortium.[6] It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2007, it was ranked third on the List of America's Favorite Architecture by the American Institute of Architects.[7]

History edit

 
Washington National Cathedral Looking SE showing substantial use of flying buttresses.

Construction edit

In 1792, Pierre L'Enfant'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. Alexander Hamilton modified L'Enfant's 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. The National Portrait Gallery 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."[8] 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, both Bodley and Vaughan had died. Gen. John J. Pershing 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.

  • Construction of the Washington National Cathedral
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National role edit

 
Aerial view of the Washington National Cathedral

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. 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.[9]

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 c. 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."[10] 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 edit

Major services edit

 
The 2004 state funeral of the 40th President, Ronald Reagan

State funerals for four American presidents have been held at the cathedral:[11][12][13]

Memorial services were also held at the cathedral for the following presidents:[11]

Presidential prayer services were held the day after the inaugurations for:[14]

 
Prayer and vigil for the March for Our Lives rally, March 23, 2018

Other events have included:

It was from Washington National Cathedral's "Canterbury Pulpit" that Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his final Sunday sermon on March 31, 1968, just 4 days before his assassination on April 4, 1968.[22] A memorial service for King was held at the cathedral later the same week.

2011 earthquake edit

 
Washington National Cathedral undergoing repairs in 2017

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.[23] The cathedral, which had no earthquake insurance, struggled to cope with the cost of the damage.[24]

Washington National Cathedral closed from August 24 to November 7, 2011,[23] as $2 million was spent to stabilize the structure and remove damaged or loose stone.[24] Safety netting was erected throughout the nave to protect visitors from any debris that might fall from above.[25] The cathedral reopened for the consecration and installation of Mariann Budde as the ninth Bishop of Washington on November 12, 2011.[26] At that time, estimates of the cost of the damage were about $25 million.[26]

Identifying the full extent of the damage and construction planning and studies over the next two years consumed another $2.5 million.[24] 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 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.[27]

Gary R. Hall was chosen to be the 10th dean of Washington National Cathedral in July 2012.[28]

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.[24] 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.[29] 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.[30] 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.[31]

Phase I of the restoration, which cost $10 million,[24] 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.[32]

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.[24]

Lee-Jackson stained glass windows edit

 
Robert Edward Lee in art at the Battle of Chancellorsville in a stained glass window of the Washington National Cathedral (removed in 2017)
 
Jackson reading the Bible in a Confederate camp in a stained glass window of the Washington National Cathedral. The windows were removed in 2017.[33]
See also: Modern display of the Confederate flag and Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials

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 and Stonewall Jackson. 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."[34]

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.[35]

On September 23, 2023, the "Now and Forever Windows" were unveiled and dedicated at the Cathedral. The dedication service featured remarks from world-renowned visual artist and window designer Kerry James Marshall, and a special reading of 'American Song' by poet Elizabeth Alexander.[36]

Financial concerns edit

In January 2003, Nathan D. Baxter, dean of the cathedral, announced his retirement effective from June 30, 2003. Baxter had led the cathedral since 1991.[37] After an 18-month search, Samuel T. Lloyd III was named dean and began his tenure on April 23, 2005.[38] Using a $15 million bequest the cathedral received in 2000, Lloyd rapidly expanded the cathedral's programming.[39][24] Meanwhile, the cathedral deferred maintenance and declined to make needed repairs.[24] Construction also began in summer 2005 on a $34 million, four-level, 430-car underground parking garage. It opened in 2007.[40][24] The structure was pushed by John Bryson Chane, 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.[41] 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.[24][42]

The 2008–2009 Great Recession 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).[43] It also significantly cut back on programming, music performances, and classes.[44] 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.[43] The National Cathedral Association was recreated as well.[41]

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.[43] It sold a number of books to a private collector in 2011 for $857,000[24] and in 2013 donated most of the remaining collection to Virginia Theological Seminary.[24][45]

As the economic downturn continued, a report by cathedral staff identified $30 million in needed maintenance and repairs.[24] 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.[41]

Since 2016, the Cathedral has stabilized its finances, reporting annual operating surpluses in its audited financial statements for the last seven years,[46] and moving forward with some large capital projects including the renovation and opening of the Virginia Mae Center,[47] commencement of the great organ renovation,[48] and continued earthquake repairs.

Architecture edit

 
Looking east, looking up to the choir of the cathedral
 
Nave vaulting facing east
 
Side view

The cathedral's final design shows a mix of influences from the various Gothic architectural styles of the Middle Ages, identifiable in its pointed arches, flying buttresses, a variety of ceiling vaulting, stained-glass 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 nave with wide side aisles and a five-bay chancel, intersected by a six-bay transept. Above the crossing, rising 301 ft (92 m) above the ground, is the Gloria in Excelsis Tower; its top, at 676 ft (206 m) above sea level, is the highest point in Washington.[3] 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.[3] The cathedral sits on a landscaped 57-acre (23 ha) plot on Mount Saint Alban.[3] 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 40 feet (12 m) 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 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 near Jerusalem, 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,[3] 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;[3] the rock was presented at the dedication service on July 21, 1974, the fifth anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission.[49] Extensive wrought iron adorns the building, much of it the work of Samuel Yellin. 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.[dubious – discuss] 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.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed]

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 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.[50]

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.[51]

Architects edit

 
Detail of cast bronze gate

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. contributed a landscaping plan for the cathedral close and Nellie B. Allen 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 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, and making numerous smaller changes. Ralph Adams Cram was hired to supervise Frohman, because of his experience with the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, 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 edit

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    Donation Thanks Engraving
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    Vaulting in northwest cloister
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    Pilgrim Observation Gallery
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    Flying buttresses
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    Side view of The Washington National Cathedral, with earthquake construction
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    There is a placard for every state from the United States
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    Statue of George Washington (by Lee Lawrie)
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    The Space Window
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    GITMO stone inscribed in 1964 as a gift to the cathedral from those at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
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    Mount Sinai stone
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    Women's porch
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    South transept tympanum
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    Detail of figures flanking south doors
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    Encaustic mural of the burial of Jesus in the Chapel of St. Joseph of Arimathea
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    Stained glass window depicting major events of the life of Confederate General Robert E. Lee; removed in 2017
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    Stained glass window depicting the life of Stonewall Jackson; removed in 2017
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    Stained glass depicting Charles Warren
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    Stained glass dedicated to Andrew Carnegie
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    Darth Vader Grotesque
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    The rood in the chancel arch, high above the screen separating the nave from the choir

Leadership and funding edit

 
East End of the cathedral, with the Ter Sanctus reredos, featuring 110 carved figures surrounding the central figure of Jesus.[52]

The cathedral is both the episcopal seat of the Bishop of Washington (currently Mariann Edgar Budde) and the primatial seat of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church (currently Michael Curry). Budde was elected by the Diocese of Washington in June 2011, to replace Bishop John Bryson Chane; 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. 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 to the cathedral and dignitaries from the state are invited to speak. American state flags were displayed in the nave 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.[43]

List of deans edit

In May 2016, Randolph Marshall Hollerith was named as the next dean of the cathedral.[53][54] Hollerith came to the National Cathedral from St. James Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia, where he was rector from 2000 to 2016.

Former Cathedral Deans:

Cathedral Clergy

Provost: The Rev. Jan Naylor Cope

Canon Vicar: The Rev. Canon Dana Colley Corsello

Canon for Worship: The Rev. Dr. Rosemarie Logan Duncan

Canon Missioner & Minister of Equity and Inclusion: The Rev. Canon Leonard Hamlin, Sr.

Canon Theologian: The Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas

Priest Associate for Worship: The Rev. Patrick Keyser

Priest Associate for Congregation: The Rev. Spencer Brown

Pastor for Digital Ministry: The Rev. Jo Nygard Owens

Worship edit

 
The flags of all the states of the US with the current liturgical banners hung on the pillars

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. Three services are held each weekday, including the daily Eucharist. Sunday through Thursday, the cathedral choirs sing Evensong. 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.[55]

The cathedral also has been a temporary home to several congregations, including a Jewish synagogue 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.

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. 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 edit

Director of Music: Canon Michael McCarthy (2002–);

Organist & Associate Director of Music: Dr. Thomas Sheehan (2019–);

Associate Director of Music & Chorister Program Manager: Julie DeBoer (2022–);

Associate Director of Music for Contemporary Worship: Michelle Fowlin (2022–);

Organ Scholar: Vacant (New Appointment: July 2024)

Carilloneur: Dr. Edward Nassor (1990–).

Former organists and choirmasters include Edgar Priest, Robert George Barrow, Paul Callaway, Richard Wayne Dirksen, Douglas Major, Bruce Neswick, James Litton, Erik Wm. Suter, Scott Dettra, Jeremy Fillsell, Christopher Betts, The Rev. Benjamin Pearce Straley, George Fergus and Rebecca Ehren. The present artist in residence is Stanley J. Thurston.

Choirs edit

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 on vocal scholarships. The two choirs currently share service duties and occasionally collaborate.

 
The console of the Great Organ at Washington National Cathedral in 2010. It includes four manuals: the Choir, Great, Swell, and Solo. It is located in the Great Choir.

Both choirs have recently[when?] recorded several CDs, including a Christmas album; a U.S. premiere recording of Ståle Kleiberg'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 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 and afternoon Evensong when they are on call. The choirs also sing for numerous state and national events. The choirs are featured annually on Christmas at Washington National Cathedral, broadcast nationally on Christmas Day.

The resident symphonic chorus of Washington National Cathedral is the Cathedral Choral Society.

The Great Organ edit

The Great Organ was installed by the Ernest M. 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.[56]

Renovation edit

Although the instrument was mechanically restored in the late 80s and early 90s, the instrument has deteriorated to the point where a third of the instrument was unplayable, including the entire Solo division. Furthermore, the layout of the organ created a confusing sonic effect for listeners, and the neo-classical approach to organ building that was popular during the era of the Organ Reform Movement had become obsolete.[57] The organ was to be replaced with a new instrument built by Dobson Pipe Organ Builders,[58] but this plan was scrapped in 2009.[59]

As of 2023, plans are being developed for a renovation of the instrument. The organ will be renovated by Foley-Baker Inc. of Tolland, CT over a span of 4 years from 2024 to 2028 at the cost of $14 million, and is expected to reduce the size of the organ to 172 ranks and 9,787 pipes.[57]It will include a complete removal of the instrument, and the addition of a suitable digital organ by the Walker Technical Company for the duration of the project. This renovation will include the addition of a new division within the Nave to improve the clarity of the organ to listeners within the Nave, a new mechanical chassis for the instrument, and the removal of some of the least successful pipes from the 1970s renovation. Approximately 50 ranks of pipes from the original 1938 instrument remain, and as many of these ranks will be reused as possible, as well as some of the pipes from the 1970s renovation. The rest of the instrument will consist of new pipework which will seamlessly integrate with what remains from the previous instrument.[57]

On December 31, 2023 the temporary Walker organ was unveiled during worship services.

Bells edit

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 32 long cwt 0 qr 4 lb; 3,588 lb or 1,627 kg 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.[60]

The carillon has 53 bells ranging from 17 pounds (7.7 kg) to 24,000 pounds (11,000 kg) 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.[61]

Contemporary music edit

In 2016, under the leadership of then-Associate for Worship and Music, the Rev. Dr. Andrew K. Barnett, the Cathedral transformed its 9:00am Sunday Eucharist into a BAS Communion Service with both contemporary language and music. This meant regular collaborations with Barnett's Theodicy Jazz Collective. Following Barnett's departure in 2019 (to All Saints, Atlanta), GRAMMY-Award nominee Daryl L.A. Hunt joined the Cathedral as Associate Director of Music for Contemporary Worship where he expanded the Cathedral Band and focused the Cathedral's contemporary music offerings towards African American spirituals and contemporary ensemble music. Since March 2020, the Cathedral's Principal Sunday Eucharist at 11:15am has included a blend of contemporary and traditional music.

Burials edit

Several notable American citizens are buried in Washington National Cathedral and its columbarium:[62]

 
Woodrow Wilson's Tomb, 2006

Schools edit

There are three private Episcopal schools on the grounds of Washington National Cathedral.

In popular culture edit

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.[65] The cathedral also makes appearances in the following movies: The Pelican Brief (1993), Lady-like (2017), and the short documentary The Stone Carvers (1984), which describes the construction of the cathedral.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Episcopal Church (1990). Consecration of the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington: A Litany of Thanksgiving: Celebration of the Holy Eucharist ... : Sunday, September Thirtieth, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety, at Eleven O'clock. The Cathedral. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  2. ^ The Episcopal Church Center (2011). "Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington". Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Facts & Figures". Washington National Cathedral.
  4. ^ "Annual Report: Highlights". Washington National Cathedral. 2016. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  5. ^ Quinn, Fredrick (October 1, 2014). A House of Prayer for All People: A History of Washington National Cathedral. Church Publishing, Inc. p. 3. ISBN 9780819229243. The quest for a National Cathedral, the best-known endeavor of Satterlee's episcopate, had deep roots in American national life. Major Pierre L'Enfant envisioned "a great church for national purposes" in his original plans for the city of Washington, but nothing came of the idea. After several meetings of leading Washington figures, including planning sessions in the home of Charles C. Glover, president of the Riggs Bank, the Protestant Episcopal Church Foundation was created on January 6, 1893, by Act of Congress, signed by President Benjamin Harrison.
  6. ^ "Member Institutions". Washington Theological Consortium. Retrieved October 2, 2009.
  7. ^ Clark, Jayne (June 21, 2007). . USA Today. Archived from the original on November 6, 2018.
  8. ^ United States Secretary of State (1893). "An Act to incorporate the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation of the District of Columbia" (PDF). The Statutes At Large of the United States of America, From December, 1891, To March, 1893, And Recent Treaties, Conventions, and Executive Proclamations. United States Congress. p. 414. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  9. ^ Morales, Teresa F. (2013). The Last Stone is Just the Beginning: A Rhetorical Biography of Washington National Cathedral (Thesis). Georgia State University.
  10. ^ Andrew Glass (September 29, 2018). "Foundation stone for Washington National Cathedral is laid, Sept. 29, 1907". POLITICO. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  11. ^ a b c d "Presidential Funerals". Washington National Cathedral. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  12. ^ Johnson, Cynthia (November 30, 2018). "Former President George HW Bush dies at 94; Trump designates Wednesday as national day of mourning, markets to close". CNBC. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  13. ^ Miller, Zeke; Lucey, Catherine (December 1, 2018). . The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 2, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  14. ^ . Washington National Cathedral. Archived from the original on April 2, 2016.
  15. ^ "The 58th Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service". Washington National Cathedral. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  16. ^ "Service for Helen Keller". Canberra Times. June 4, 1968. p. Page 5 col 1. Retrieved November 13, 2022. Miss Keller's body was cremated today at a private ceremony. The ashes will be taken to Washington tomorrow and will be placed in a crypt in the cathedral following the service.
  17. ^ Hill, Retha (September 6, 1997). "Washington Says Goodbye to Diana". The Washington Post. from the original on July 8, 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  18. ^ "Charles W. Colson Funeral". The Washington Post. May 16, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  19. ^ "March for Our Lives Prayer Vigil". Washington National Cathedral. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
  20. ^ "Celebration of Life and Interment for Matthew Wayne Shepard".
  21. ^ Hubbard, Lauren (September 16, 2022). "All of the Living Former Presidents Have Been Invited to a Memorial for Queen Elizabeth". Town & Country. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  22. ^ King, Martin Luther Jr. (March 31, 1968). (Speech). Archived from the original on June 3, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2011 – via mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu.
  23. ^ a b Kennedy, Suzanne (August 25, 2011). . WJLA-TV. Archived from the original on October 28, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Fandos, Nicholas (July 4, 2015). "National Cathedral's Repair Work: Finials, Finance and Faith". The New York Times. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  25. ^ Hill, Daniel (September 1, 2011). "National Cathedral Adds Safety Netting". The Washington Times. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  26. ^ a b Ruane, Michael E. (October 5, 2011). "Cathedral Seeks to Raise $25 Million". The Washington Post. p. B1.
  27. ^ Trescott, Jacqueline (February 2, 2011). "National Cathedral, Renwick Gallery Win Federal Funds". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  28. ^ . The Episcopal Church. July 31, 2012. Archived from the original on April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  29. ^ "National Cathedral Earthquake Repairs to Top $26 million". WJLA-TV. August 22, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  30. ^ Boorstein, Michelle (January 15, 2014). "National Cathedral Opens Worship Space to Free Classes and More to Boost Profile, Coffers". The Washington Post.
  31. ^ Marmer, Gerri (December 5, 2014). "Religion Events From Around the Washington Area". The Washington Post.
  32. ^ "Making Washington's National Cathedral Whole Again" (video). Fox News. April 5, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
  33. ^ Boorstein, Michelle (September 6, 2017). "Washington National Cathedral to remove stained glass windows honoring Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson". The Washington Post.
  34. ^ "Cathedral to Explore Racial Justice Through Public Forums, Arts, Worship". Washington National Cathedral. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  35. ^ Budde, Mariann Edgar; Hollerith, Randolph Marshall; Donoghue, John (September 6, 2017). "Announcement on the Future of the Lee-Jackson Windows". Washington National Cathedral. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  36. ^ Andone, Dakin (September 24, 2023). "Washington National Cathedral reveals new stained glass windows that replace those that honored Confederate generals". CNN. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  37. ^ "Baxter Plans to Step Down as Dean of National Cathedral" (Press release). The Episcopal Church. January 23, 2003.
  38. ^ "The Very Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd III". Washington National Cathedral.
  39. ^ Murphy, Caryle (March 18, 2000). "Rockville Woman Leaves $15 Million to Cathedral". The Washington Post. p. B3 – via ProQuest Archiver.
  40. ^ "Washington, D.C.: Cathedral opens first underground bus garage in nation's capital" (Press release). The Episcopal Church. May 11, 2007. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  41. ^ a b c Zongker, Brett (March 14, 2012). "National Cathedral's Preservation, Financial Needs Top $50 Million". Associated Press. Retrieved July 5, 2015 – via NBC4 Washington.
  42. ^ "History: National Cathedral Association". Washington National Cathedral. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
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  44. ^ Sullivan, Patricia (July 8, 2011). "The Very Rev. Samuel Lloyd, Dean of Washington National Cathedral, to Resign". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  45. ^ "Bishop Payne Library Receives Large Collection of Rare Books from the Washington National Cathedral" (Press release). Virginia Theological Seminary. January 25, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  46. ^ "Cathedral Age Fall/Winter 2021 Page 22". mydigimag.rrd.com. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  47. ^ "About the Virginia Mae Center". Washington National Cathedral. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  48. ^ "Organ Renovation". Washington National Cathedral. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  49. ^ "The Space Window at the U.S. National Cathedral". Space.com. September 12, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
  50. ^ "Darth Vader 'Gargoyle'". Washington National Cathedral.
  51. ^ Graff, Garrett M. (2017). Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself – While the Rest of Us Die. Simon & Schuster.
  52. ^ "High Altar". Washington National Cathedral.
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  63. ^ Fortin, Jacey (October 11, 2018). "Matthew Shepard Will Be Interred at the Washington National Cathedral, 20 Years After His Death". The New York Times. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  64. ^ Hauser, Christine (October 26, 2018). "Matthew Shepard Laid to Rest at National Cathedral Decades After His Murder". The New York Times. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  65. ^ Saraiya, Sonia (May 21, 2014). "10 Episodes that Show the West Wing Was Drama First, Politics Second". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 3, 2022.

Bibliography edit

  • 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 edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Washington National Cathedral.
  •   Geographic data related to Washington National Cathedral at OpenStreetMap
  • Official website  
  • Episcopal Diocese of Washington
  • What does Darth Vader have to do with the Cathedral?
  • Outdoor sculptures at the Washington National Cathedral
  • Washington National Cathedral Documentary produced by WETA-TV
  • Three Things That Happened at the Nationals Cathedral – blog post by Ghosts of DC
  • Video showing exterior and interior of the Cathedral from 2016

January 01, 1970
washington, national, cathedral, national, cathedral, redirects, here, national, cathedral, philippine, independent, church, iglesia, filipina, independiente, national, cathedral, cathedral, church, saint, peter, saint, paul, city, diocese, washington, commonl. National Cathedral redirects here For the national cathedral of the Philippine Independent Church see Iglesia Filipina Independiente National Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington commonly known as Washington National Cathedral or National Cathedral is an American cathedral of the Episcopal Church The cathedral is located in Washington D C the capital of the United States 1 2 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 3 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 Over 270 000 people visit the structure annually 4 Washington National CathedralU S National Register of Historic PlacesWashington National Cathedral is officially dedicated as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington Show map of Washington D C Show map of the United StatesLocationWisconsin Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue Northwest Washington D C United StatesCoordinates38 55 50 N 77 4 15 W 38 93056 N 77 07083 W 38 93056 77 07083Built1906 118 years ago 1906 to1988 36 years ago 1988 ArchitectGeorge Frederick Bodley Philip Hubert FrohmanArchitectural styleNeo GothicNRHP reference No 74002170Added to NRHPMay 3 1974Exterior viewThe west rose window was dedicated in 1977 in the presence of both the 39th President Jimmy Carter and Queen Elizabeth II as Supreme Governor of the Church of England The Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation under the first seven Bishops of Washington erected the cathedral under a charter passed by the United States Congress on January 6 1893 5 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 a nearby earthquake in 2011 is ongoing as of 2024 update 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 Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues in the northwest quadrant of Washington It is an associate member of the recently organized inter denominational Washington Theological Consortium 6 It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places In 2007 it was ranked third on the List of America s Favorite Architecture by the American Institute of Architects 7 Contents 1 History 1 1 Construction 1 2 National role 2 Major events 2 1 Major services 2 2 2011 earthquake 2 3 Lee Jackson stained glass windows 3 Financial concerns 4 Architecture 4 1 Architects 4 2 Images of architectural details 5 Leadership and funding 5 1 List of deans 6 Worship 7 Music 7 1 Choirs 7 2 The Great Organ 7 2 1 Renovation 7 3 Bells 7 4 Contemporary music 8 Burials 9 Schools 10 In popular culture 11 See also 12 References 13 Bibliography 14 External linksHistory edit nbsp Washington National Cathedral Looking SE showing substantial use of flying buttresses Construction edit In 1792 Pierre L Enfant 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 Alexander Hamilton modified L Enfant s 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 The National Portrait Gallery 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 8 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 both Bodley and Vaughan had died Gen John J Pershing 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 Construction of the Washington National Cathedral nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp National role edit nbsp Aerial view of the Washington National CathedralFrom 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 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 9 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 c 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 10 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 editMajor services edit nbsp The 2004 state funeral of the 40th President Ronald ReaganState funerals for four American presidents have been held at the cathedral 11 12 13 34th President Dwight D Eisenhower 1969 lay in repose at the cathedral before lying in state 40th President Ronald Reagan 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 11 29th Warren G Harding 27th William Howard Taft 30th Calvin Coolidge 33rd Harry S Truman 37th Richard NixonPresidential prayer services were held the day after the inaugurations for 14 32nd President Franklin D Roosevelt s second inauguration in January 1937 40th President Ronald Reagan 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 s first and second inaugurations in 2009 and 2013 45th President Donald Trump s inauguration in 2017 15 46th President Joe Biden s inauguration in 2021 nbsp Prayer and vigil for the March for Our Lives rally March 23 2018Other events have included Funeral for former first lady Edith Wilson 1961 11 Memorial service for former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt 1962 11 Memorial service and interment of Helen Keller 1968 16 Memorial service for the casualties of the Vietnam War on November 14 1982 Funeral for Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall on January 29 1993 Public funeral for Chief of Naval Operations United States Navy Admiral Jeremy Michael Boorda 1996 Funeral for Secretary of Commerce 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 17 Funeral for The Washington Post newspaper publisher Katharine Graham 2001 Memorial service for the victims of the September 11 2001 attacks Special evensong for the victims of the Virginia Tech shooting Funeral for educator and national civil rights leader Dorothy Height 2010 Memorial service for NASA astronaut and first person on the Moon Neil Armstrong 2012 Funeral for Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii President Pro Tempore of the Senate and Medal of Honor recipient 2012 Funeral for Charles Colson founder of Prison Fellowship 2012 18 Memorial service for former South African President and anti apartheid activist Nelson Mandela 2014 Interfaith service of Prayer and Remembrance The Fifteenth Anniversary of the September 11 2001 attacks 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 19 Funeral for U S Senator John McCain of Arizona September 1 2018 Service of Thanksgiving and Remembrance for Matthew Shepard October 26 2018 20 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 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 September 21 2022 21 It was from Washington National Cathedral s Canterbury Pulpit that Martin Luther King Jr delivered his final Sunday sermon on March 31 1968 just 4 days before his assassination on April 4 1968 22 A memorial service for King was held at the cathedral later the same week 2011 earthquake edit nbsp Washington National Cathedral undergoing repairs in 2017The 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 23 The cathedral which had no earthquake insurance struggled to cope with the cost of the damage 24 Washington National Cathedral closed from August 24 to November 7 2011 23 as 2 million was spent to stabilize the structure and remove damaged or loose stone 24 Safety netting was erected throughout the nave to protect visitors from any debris that might fall from above 25 The cathedral reopened for the consecration and installation of Mariann Budde as the ninth Bishop of Washington on November 12 2011 26 At that time estimates of the cost of the damage were about 25 million 26 Identifying the full extent of the damage and construction planning and studies over the next two years consumed another 2 5 million 24 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 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 27 Gary R Hall was chosen to be the 10th dean of Washington National Cathedral in July 2012 28 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 24 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 29 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 30 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 cafe chain 31 Phase I of the restoration which cost 10 million 24 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 32 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 24 Lee Jackson stained glass windows edit nbsp Robert Edward Lee in art at the Battle of Chancellorsville in a stained glass window of the Washington National Cathedral removed in 2017 nbsp Jackson reading the Bible in a Confederate camp in a stained glass window of the Washington National Cathedral The windows were removed in 2017 33 See also Modern display of the Confederate flag and Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials 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 and Stonewall Jackson 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 34 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 35 On September 23 2023 the Now and Forever Windows were unveiled and dedicated at the Cathedral The dedication service featured remarks from world renowned visual artist and window designer Kerry James Marshall and a special reading of American Song by poet Elizabeth Alexander 36 Financial concerns editIn January 2003 Nathan D Baxter dean of the cathedral announced his retirement effective from June 30 2003 Baxter had led the cathedral since 1991 37 After an 18 month search Samuel T Lloyd III was named dean and began his tenure on April 23 2005 38 Using a 15 million bequest the cathedral received in 2000 Lloyd rapidly expanded the cathedral s programming 39 24 Meanwhile the cathedral deferred maintenance and declined to make needed repairs 24 Construction also began in summer 2005 on a 34 million four level 430 car underground parking garage It opened in 2007 40 24 The structure was pushed by John Bryson Chane 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 41 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 24 42 The 2008 2009 Great Recession 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 43 It also significantly cut back on programming music performances and classes 44 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 43 The National Cathedral Association was recreated as well 41 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 43 It sold a number of books to a private collector in 2011 for 857 000 24 and in 2013 donated most of the remaining collection to Virginia Theological Seminary 24 45 As the economic downturn continued a report by cathedral staff identified 30 million in needed maintenance and repairs 24 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 41 Since 2016 the Cathedral has stabilized its finances reporting annual operating surpluses in its audited financial statements for the last seven years 46 and moving forward with some large capital projects including the renovation and opening of the Virginia Mae Center 47 commencement of the great organ renovation 48 and continued earthquake repairs Architecture edit nbsp Looking east looking up to the choir of the cathedral nbsp Nave vaulting facing east nbsp Side viewThe cathedral s final design shows a mix of influences from the various Gothic architectural styles of the Middle Ages identifiable in its pointed arches flying buttresses a variety of ceiling vaulting stained glass 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 nave with wide side aisles and a five bay chancel intersected by a six bay transept Above the crossing rising 301 ft 92 m above the ground is the Gloria in Excelsis Tower its top at 676 ft 206 m above sea level is the highest point in Washington 3 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 3 The cathedral sits on a landscaped 57 acre 23 ha plot on Mount Saint Alban 3 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 40 feet 12 m 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 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 near Jerusalem 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 3 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 3 the rock was presented at the dedication service on July 21 1974 the fifth anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission 49 Extensive wrought iron adorns the building much of it the work of Samuel Yellin 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 dubious discuss 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 citation needed 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 citation needed 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 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 50 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 51 Architects edit nbsp Detail of cast bronze gateThe cathedral s master plan was designed by George Frederick Bodley founder of Watts amp 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 contributed a landscaping plan for the cathedral close and Nellie B Allen 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 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 facade and making numerous smaller changes Ralph Adams Cram was hired to supervise Frohman because of his experience with the Cathedral of St John the Divine New York 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 edit nbsp Donation Thanks Engraving nbsp Vaulting in northwest cloister nbsp Pilgrim Observation Gallery nbsp Flying buttresses nbsp Side view of The Washington National Cathedral with earthquake construction nbsp There is a placard for every state from the United States nbsp Statue of George Washington by Lee Lawrie nbsp The Space Window nbsp GITMO stone inscribed in 1964 as a gift to the cathedral from those at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base nbsp Mount Sinai stone nbsp Women s porch nbsp South transept tympanum nbsp Detail of figures flanking south doors nbsp Encaustic mural of the burial of Jesus in the Chapel of St Joseph of Arimathea nbsp Stained glass window depicting major events of the life of Confederate General Robert E Lee removed in 2017 nbsp Stained glass window depicting the life of Stonewall Jackson removed in 2017 nbsp Stained glass depicting Charles Warren nbsp Stained glass dedicated to Andrew Carnegie nbsp Darth Vader Grotesque nbsp The rood in the chancel arch high above the screen separating the nave from the choirLeadership and funding edit nbsp East End of the cathedral with the Ter Sanctus reredos featuring 110 carved figures surrounding the central figure of Jesus 52 The cathedral is both the episcopal seat of the Bishop of Washington currently Mariann Edgar Budde and the primatial seat of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church currently Michael Curry Budde was elected by the Diocese of Washington in June 2011 to replace Bishop John Bryson Chane 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 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 to the cathedral and dignitaries from the state are invited to speak American state flags were displayed in the nave 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 43 List of deans edit In May 2016 Randolph Marshall Hollerith was named as the next dean of the cathedral 53 54 Hollerith came to the National Cathedral from St James Episcopal Church in Richmond Virginia where he was rector from 2000 to 2016 Former Cathedral Deans Alfred Harding de facto 1909 1916 George C F Bratenahl 1916 1936 Noble C Powell 1937 1941 ZeBarney T Phillips 1941 1942 John W Suter 1944 1950 Francis B Sayre Jr 1951 1978 John T Walker 1978 1989 simultaneously bishop Nathan D Baxter 1991 2003 Samuel T Lloyd III 2005 2011 Gary R Hall 2012 2015 Randolph Marshall Hollerith 2016 present Cathedral ClergyProvost The Rev Jan Naylor CopeCanon Vicar The Rev Canon Dana Colley CorselloCanon for Worship The Rev Dr Rosemarie Logan DuncanCanon Missioner amp Minister of Equity and Inclusion The Rev Canon Leonard Hamlin Sr Canon Theologian The Rev Dr Kelly Brown DouglasPriest Associate for Worship The Rev Patrick KeyserPriest Associate for Congregation The Rev Spencer BrownPastor for Digital Ministry The Rev Jo Nygard OwensWorship edit nbsp The flags of all the states of the US with the current liturgical banners hung on the pillarsThe 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 Three services are held each weekday including the daily Eucharist Sunday through Thursday the cathedral choirs sing Evensong 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 55 The cathedral also has been a temporary home to several congregations including a Jewish synagogue 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 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 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 editDirector of Music Canon Michael McCarthy 2002 Organist amp Associate Director of Music Dr Thomas Sheehan 2019 Associate Director of Music amp Chorister Program Manager Julie DeBoer 2022 Associate Director of Music for Contemporary Worship Michelle Fowlin 2022 Organ Scholar Vacant New Appointment July 2024 Carilloneur Dr Edward Nassor 1990 Former organists and choirmasters include Edgar Priest Robert George Barrow Paul Callaway Richard Wayne Dirksen Douglas Major Bruce Neswick James Litton Erik Wm Suter Scott Dettra Jeremy Fillsell Christopher Betts The Rev Benjamin Pearce Straley George Fergus and Rebecca Ehren The present artist in residence is Stanley J Thurston Choirs edit 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 on vocal scholarships The two choirs currently share service duties and occasionally collaborate nbsp The console of the Great Organ at Washington National Cathedral in 2010 It includes four manuals the Choir Great Swell and Solo It is located in the Great Choir Both choirs have recently when recorded several CDs including a Christmas album a U S premiere recording of Stale Kleiberg 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 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 and afternoon Evensong when they are on call The choirs also sing for numerous state and national events The choirs are featured annually on Christmas at Washington National Cathedral broadcast nationally on Christmas Day The resident symphonic chorus of Washington National Cathedral is the Cathedral Choral Society The Great Organ edit The Great Organ was installed by the Ernest M Skinner amp 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 56 Renovation edit Although the instrument was mechanically restored in the late 80s and early 90s the instrument has deteriorated to the point where a third of the instrument was unplayable including the entire Solo division Furthermore the layout of the organ created a confusing sonic effect for listeners and the neo classical approach to organ building that was popular during the era of the Organ Reform Movement had become obsolete 57 The organ was to be replaced with a new instrument built by Dobson Pipe Organ Builders 58 but this plan was scrapped in 2009 59 As of 2023 plans are being developed for a renovation of the instrument The organ will be renovated by Foley Baker Inc of Tolland CT over a span of 4 years from 2024 to 2028 at the cost of 14 million and is expected to reduce the size of the organ to 172 ranks and 9 787 pipes 57 It will include a complete removal of the instrument and the addition of a suitable digital organ by the Walker Technical Company for the duration of the project This renovation will include the addition of a new division within the Nave to improve the clarity of the organ to listeners within the Nave a new mechanical chassis for the instrument and the removal of some of the least successful pipes from the 1970s renovation Approximately 50 ranks of pipes from the original 1938 instrument remain and as many of these ranks will be reused as possible as well as some of the pipes from the 1970s renovation The rest of the instrument will consist of new pipework which will seamlessly integrate with what remains from the previous instrument 57 On December 31 2023 the temporary Walker organ was unveiled during worship services Bells edit 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 32 long cwt 0 qr 4 lb 3 588 lb or 1 627 kg in D are hung in the English style for full circle ringing All ten were cast in 1962 by Mears amp Stainbank now known as The Whitechapel Bell Foundry of London England 60 The carillon has 53 bells ranging from 17 pounds 7 7 kg to 24 000 pounds 11 000 kg and was manufactured by John Taylor amp 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 61 Contemporary music edit In 2016 under the leadership of then Associate for Worship and Music the Rev Dr Andrew K Barnett the Cathedral transformed its 9 00am Sunday Eucharist into a BAS Communion Service with both contemporary language and music This meant regular collaborations with Barnett s Theodicy Jazz Collective Following Barnett s departure in 2019 to All Saints Atlanta GRAMMY Award nominee Daryl L A Hunt joined the Cathedral as Associate Director of Music for Contemporary Worship where he expanded the Cathedral Band and focused the Cathedral s contemporary music offerings towards African American spirituals and contemporary ensemble music Since March 2020 the Cathedral s Principal Sunday Eucharist at 11 15am has included a blend of contemporary and traditional music Burials editThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed April 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message Several notable American citizens are buried in Washington National Cathedral and its columbarium 62 nbsp Woodrow Wilson s Tomb 2006Larz 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 Joseph E Davies ashes diplomat presidential adviser He gave a stained glass window in the cathedral in honor of his mother Rachel Davies Rahel o Fon George Dewey United States Navy admiral Angus Dun ashes fourth bishop of Washington Philip H Frohman ashes cathedral architect following the death of Bodley George A Garrett diplomat first United States Ambassador to Ireland Julia Dent Cantacuzene Spiransky Grant granddaughter of President Ulysses S Grant Alfred Harding second Bishop of Washington Cordell Hull United States Secretary of State 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 ashes U S representative senator Joe Allbritton banker publisher and philanthropist Norman Prince fighter pilot member of the Lafayette Escadrille flying corps Henry Y Satterlee first bishop of Washington Francis Bowes Sayre Jr ashes dean of the cathedral and grandson of President Woodrow Wilson also interred there Matthew Shepard ashes notable LGBT figure victim of a hate crime 63 64 John Wesley Snyder Secretary of the Treasury in the Truman administration Leo Sowerby ashes composer church musician Anne Sullivan ashes tutor and companion to Helen Keller first woman interred here Stuart Symington U S senator presidential candidate Henry Vaughan architect associate of Bodley John T Walker sixth bishop of Washington Thomas C Wasson 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 28th president of the United States Wilson s tomb includes variants on the seal of the president of the United States and the coat of arms of Princeton University and Davidson College Wilson is the only American president buried in the District of Columbia Schools editThere are three private Episcopal 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 an all girls school serving grades four through twelveIn popular culture editThe 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 65 The cathedral also makes appearances in the following movies The Pelican Brief 1993 Lady like 2017 and the short documentary The Stone Carvers 1984 which describes the construction of the cathedral See also editList of the Episcopal cathedrals of the United States List of cathedrals in the United States All Hallows Guild Carousel Washington National Cathedral Police Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception Church Center for the United Nations Architecture of Washington D C References edit Episcopal Church 1990 Consecration of the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington A Litany of Thanksgiving Celebration of the Holy Eucharist Sunday September Thirtieth Nineteen Hundred and Ninety at Eleven O clock The Cathedral Retrieved April 6 2013 The Episcopal Church Center 2011 Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington Retrieved April 6 2013 a b c d e f Facts amp Figures Washington National Cathedral Annual Report Highlights Washington National Cathedral 2016 Retrieved April 23 2018 Quinn Fredrick October 1 2014 A House of Prayer for All People A History of Washington National Cathedral Church Publishing Inc p 3 ISBN 9780819229243 The quest for a National Cathedral the best known endeavor of Satterlee s episcopate had deep roots in American national life Major Pierre L Enfant envisioned a great church for national purposes in his original plans for the city of Washington but nothing came of the idea After several meetings of leading Washington figures including planning sessions in the home of Charles C Glover president of the Riggs Bank the Protestant Episcopal Church Foundation was created on January 6 1893 by Act of Congress signed by President Benjamin Harrison Member Institutions Washington Theological Consortium Retrieved October 2 2009 Clark Jayne June 21 2007 National Cathedral Celebrates Its Centennial USA Today Archived from the original on November 6 2018 United States Secretary of State 1893 An Act to incorporate the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation of the District of Columbia PDF The Statutes At Large of the United States of America From December 1891 To March 1893 And Recent Treaties Conventions and Executive Proclamations United States Congress p 414 Retrieved November 16 2014 Morales Teresa F 2013 The Last Stone is Just the Beginning A Rhetorical Biography of Washington National Cathedral Thesis Georgia State University Andrew Glass September 29 2018 Foundation stone for Washington National Cathedral is laid Sept 29 1907 POLITICO Retrieved February 9 2020 a b c d Presidential Funerals Washington National Cathedral Retrieved December 3 2022 Johnson Cynthia November 30 2018 Former President George HW Bush dies at 94 Trump designates Wednesday as national day of mourning markets to close CNBC Retrieved December 1 2018 Miller Zeke Lucey Catherine December 1 2018 Trumps to Attend State Funeral for George H W Bush The Washington Post Archived from the original on December 2 2018 Retrieved December 1 2018 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Services at Washington National Cathedral Washington National Cathedral Archived from the original on April 2 2016 The 58th Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service Washington National Cathedral Retrieved April 23 2018 Service for Helen Keller Canberra Times June 4 1968 p Page 5 col 1 Retrieved November 13 2022 Miss Keller s body was cremated today at a private ceremony The ashes will be taken to Washington tomorrow and will be placed in a crypt in the cathedral following the service Hill Retha September 6 1997 Washington Says Goodbye to Diana The Washington Post Archived from the original on July 8 2018 Retrieved May 25 2018 Charles W Colson Funeral The Washington Post May 16 2012 Retrieved October 27 2018 March for Our Lives Prayer Vigil Washington National Cathedral Retrieved March 23 2018 Celebration of Life and Interment for Matthew Wayne Shepard Hubbard Lauren September 16 2022 All of the Living Former Presidents Have Been Invited to a Memorial for Queen Elizabeth Town amp Country Retrieved September 16 2022 King Martin Luther Jr March 31 1968 Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution Speech Archived from the original on June 3 2011 Retrieved June 14 2011 via mlk kpp01 stanford edu a b Kennedy Suzanne August 25 2011 D C Earthquake Damages National Cathedral Washington Monument WJLA TV Archived from the original on October 28 2011 Retrieved August 18 2011 a b c d e f g h i j k l m Fandos Nicholas July 4 2015 National Cathedral s Repair Work Finials Finance and Faith The New York Times Retrieved July 5 2015 Hill Daniel September 1 2011 National Cathedral Adds Safety Netting The Washington Times Retrieved July 5 2015 a b Ruane Michael E October 5 2011 Cathedral Seeks to Raise 25 Million The Washington Post p B1 Trescott Jacqueline February 2 2011 National Cathedral Renwick Gallery Win Federal Funds The Washington Post Retrieved July 5 2015 Gary R Hall Named Dean of Washington National Cathedral The Episcopal Church July 31 2012 Archived from the original on April 23 2018 Retrieved April 23 2018 National Cathedral Earthquake Repairs to Top 26 million WJLA TV August 22 2013 Retrieved July 5 2015 Boorstein Michelle January 15 2014 National Cathedral Opens Worship Space to Free Classes and More to Boost Profile Coffers The Washington Post Marmer Gerri December 5 2014 Religion Events From Around the Washington Area The Washington Post Making Washington s National Cathedral Whole Again video Fox News April 5 2015 Retrieved April 6 2015 Boorstein Michelle September 6 2017 Washington National Cathedral to remove stained glass windows honoring Robert E Lee Stonewall Jackson The Washington Post Cathedral to Explore Racial Justice Through Public Forums Arts Worship Washington National Cathedral Retrieved October 25 2016 Budde Mariann Edgar Hollerith Randolph Marshall Donoghue John September 6 2017 Announcement on the Future of the Lee Jackson Windows Washington National Cathedral Retrieved September 6 2017 Andone Dakin September 24 2023 Washington National Cathedral reveals new stained glass windows that replace those that honored Confederate generals CNN Retrieved October 30 2023 Baxter Plans to Step Down as Dean of National Cathedral Press release The Episcopal Church January 23 2003 The Very Rev Samuel T Lloyd III Washington National Cathedral Murphy Caryle March 18 2000 Rockville Woman Leaves 15 Million to Cathedral The Washington Post p B3 via ProQuest Archiver Washington D C Cathedral opens first underground bus garage in nation s capital Press release The Episcopal Church May 11 2007 Retrieved April 23 2018 a b c Zongker Brett March 14 2012 National Cathedral s Preservation Financial Needs Top 50 Million Associated Press Retrieved July 5 2015 via NBC4 Washington History National Cathedral Association Washington National Cathedral Retrieved April 23 2018 a b c d Gowen Annie June 11 2010 National Cathedral finds itself in a bind The Washington Post via Boston com Sullivan Patricia July 8 2011 The Very Rev Samuel Lloyd Dean of Washington National Cathedral to Resign The Washington Post Retrieved April 23 2018 Bishop Payne Library Receives Large Collection of Rare Books from the Washington National Cathedral Press release Virginia Theological Seminary January 25 2013 Retrieved July 5 2015 Cathedral Age Fall Winter 2021 Page 22 mydigimag rrd com Retrieved January 5 2024 About the Virginia Mae Center Washington National Cathedral Retrieved January 5 2024 Organ Renovation Washington National Cathedral Retrieved January 5 2024 The Space Window at the U S National Cathedral Space com September 12 2012 Retrieved September 16 2012 Darth Vader Gargoyle Washington National Cathedral Graff Garrett M 2017 Raven Rock The Story of the U S Government s Secret Plan to Save Itself While the Rest of Us Die Simon amp Schuster High Altar Washington National Cathedral Hollerith Randy May 23 2016 Hollerith Named Next Dean of National Cathedral t St James s Episcopal Church Archived from the original on August 6 2016 Retrieved May 23 2016 Rockett Ali May 23 2016 St James s Episcopal Church rector named dean of Washington National Cathedral Richmond Times Dispatch Retrieved May 23 2016 Worship at the Cathedral Services Schedule Washington National Cathedral Retrieved April 23 2018 Washington National Cathedral American Guild of Organists District of Columbia Chapter Retrieved April 23 2018 a b c Everything and more You Wanted to Know About the Cathedral Organ Washington National Cathedral Retrieved April 1 2023 Midgette Anne June 17 2008 Fans Pipe Up About Replacing Venerable Cathedral Organ The Washington Post Retrieved December 16 2018 The Organ Project Washington National Cathedral Archived from the original on November 30 2009 Retrieved December 16 2018 Washington Cath Ch of S Peter amp S Paul Dove s Guide for Church Bell Ringers Retrieved November 29 2012 Carillon Washington National Cathedral Retrieved April 23 2018 Victoria Dawson 2008 Washington National Cathedral Guidebook Vochinsky Eric Washington National Cathedral Washington D C Washington D C Washington National Cathedral ISBN 9780615236124 OCLC 880900586 Fortin Jacey October 11 2018 Matthew Shepard Will Be Interred at the Washington National Cathedral 20 Years After His Death The New York Times Retrieved December 3 2022 Hauser Christine October 26 2018 Matthew Shepard Laid to Rest at National Cathedral Decades After His Murder The New York Times Retrieved December 3 2022 Saraiya Sonia May 21 2014 10 Episodes that Show the West Wing Was Drama First Politics Second The A V Club Retrieved December 3 2022 Bibliography editMarjorie 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 amp 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 edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Washington National Cathedral nbsp Geographic data related to Washington National Cathedral at OpenStreetMap Official website nbsp Episcopal Diocese of Washington Jay Hall Carpenter gargoyle sculptor 20 years at the cathedral What does Darth Vader have to do with the Cathedral Outdoor sculptures at the Washington National Cathedral Washington National Cathedral Documentary produced by WETA TV Three Things That Happened at the Nationals Cathedral blog post by Ghosts of DC Video showing exterior and interior of the Cathedral from 2016 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Washington National Cathedral amp oldid 1218761768, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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