Washington National Cathedral, Episcopal cathedral in Mount Saint Alban, Washington, D.C., United States
The Washington National Cathedral is an Episcopal cathedral in the Mount Saint Alban neighborhood of Washington, D.C., built in the manner of medieval English models. The twin western towers rise above the city, while inside, vaulted ceilings arch over pews of carved oak and more than 200 stained glass windows filter light through the stone building.
The foundation stone was laid in 1907 in the presence of President Theodore Roosevelt, and the work was not completed until 1990. Three generations of architects worked on the building, with the western facade and towers completed during the final decades of the 20th century.
During the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his final Sunday sermon here, and the stained glass windows depict events from American history. The bells ring for important occasions across the country, and the stone carvers have created gargoyles that depict modern figures such as Darth Vader.
The cathedral stands at Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues in the northwest quadrant, on Mount Saint Alban, the highest point in the city. Four services are held each weekday, five in summer, including a daily Mass, and a choir sings Evensong from Sunday to Thursday. The crypt, chapels and Bishop's Garden can be visited; the 2011 earthquake damage is still being repaired.
The Mount Saint Alban site was chosen in 1896 by Bishop Henry Yates Satterlee, who wanted the cathedral on the highest point in Washington, about 400 feet above the Potomac River. The land had belonged to the family of Joseph Nourse, an official in George Washington's administration, before it came up for sale in 1893.
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