#5 Washington National Cathedral
From the rooftop of our very first apartment here, we could see the Washington National Cathedral dominating the skyline! Yet, it still took us almost eight years to make the trip up to see it, nestled in a residential neighborhood of DC on a hill overlooking downtown. I decided to pay for the Behind the Scenes tour, which takes you up in the galleries close to the stained glass windows and up onto the roof for a better understanding of the art and architecture in the cathedral - well worth it!
The Washington National Cathedral is an Episcopal church that also serves as a religious/spiritual center for all Americans. I was surprised to learn that it is the 6th largest cathedral in the world, even larger than Notre Dame de Paris! It was built from 1906 to 1988 in a mix of English and French gothic styles with President Teddy Roosevelt laying the cornerstone and President George H.W. Bush overseeing a last stone being placed on top of the tower.
The scale of the church is so massive, it's hard to capture it all in one photo! Here are some exterior views:
Outside the front were some pieces that broke off the roof in the August 2011 earthquake. The cathedral is still fundraising to complete repairs from it.
On the ground level, our guide Camille pointed out the white Texas limestone figure on the altar that was added after the original French limestone work was carved.
Also fascinating is the space-themed window celebrating man's first trip to the moon - there is an actual moon rock placed in the center of the circle representing the moon.
We also admired the fine ironwork as we passed through a number of the "behind the scenes" doors. Look at these amazing roses!
And then we started to climb! She pointed out to us that the nave is not exactly straight - if it was, people would get tunnel vision, and if you were standing at the entry door, the altar would be at the vanishing point on the horizon. By setting the entry and the altar 6 degrees off from each other, you can see all the way down the church.
Note the state flags hanging down the nave - each week the church prays for a state, starting on July 4 and going in the order states joined the union.
From there we climbed all the way up to the roof level. The views to downtown DC and across the river to Virginia were amazing from this height. We walked out along a gutter for a closer look at the roof, flying buttresses, and grotesques and gargoyles.
Back inside, we stood in a brick room under the bell tower where the stonemasons' celebratory New Years champagne bottles from 1960 on are kept. We also peeked over steel beams that support the roof above the nave.
The last treat was to get up close to the front rose window, which depicts the creation of light in a lovely abstract way, and take one last look into the cathedral from a great height.
We spent a little more free time exploring the chapels and crypts underground. There are over 250 people buried in the cathedral, including Helen Keller, but the only President here is Woodrow Wilson.
Next time you're in town, think about taking one of their specialty tours to get up close and personal with the gargoyles and admire the views. You'll hear so many great stories (especially if your guide is Camille!) and the ticket price supports this amazing building!
Item 5 Completed 6/22/19
13/43 items complete = 30%
The Washington National Cathedral is an Episcopal church that also serves as a religious/spiritual center for all Americans. I was surprised to learn that it is the 6th largest cathedral in the world, even larger than Notre Dame de Paris! It was built from 1906 to 1988 in a mix of English and French gothic styles with President Teddy Roosevelt laying the cornerstone and President George H.W. Bush overseeing a last stone being placed on top of the tower.
The scale of the church is so massive, it's hard to capture it all in one photo! Here are some exterior views:
 |
| Depiction of the creation of man |
Outside the front were some pieces that broke off the roof in the August 2011 earthquake. The cathedral is still fundraising to complete repairs from it.
 |
| Pieces that fell off of the cathedral in the earthquake |
 |
| Missing decorations on the roof from the earthquake |
On the ground level, our guide Camille pointed out the white Texas limestone figure on the altar that was added after the original French limestone work was carved.
Also fascinating is the space-themed window celebrating man's first trip to the moon - there is an actual moon rock placed in the center of the circle representing the moon.
We also admired the fine ironwork as we passed through a number of the "behind the scenes" doors. Look at these amazing roses!
And then we started to climb! She pointed out to us that the nave is not exactly straight - if it was, people would get tunnel vision, and if you were standing at the entry door, the altar would be at the vanishing point on the horizon. By setting the entry and the altar 6 degrees off from each other, you can see all the way down the church.
Note the state flags hanging down the nave - each week the church prays for a state, starting on July 4 and going in the order states joined the union.
 |
| View from first gallery level |
Up again we climbed to the triforium - the arched gallery right below the highest pointed arch windows and rose windows. The windows along the nave up here depict Biblical scenes in order from the Old Testament to the New. Washington, DC is along the same latitude as Barcelona, Spain, so they planned the colors of the windows to match that brightness and quality of light. They are certainly spectacular!
From there we climbed all the way up to the roof level. The views to downtown DC and across the river to Virginia were amazing from this height. We walked out along a gutter for a closer look at the roof, flying buttresses, and grotesques and gargoyles.
Back inside, we stood in a brick room under the bell tower where the stonemasons' celebratory New Years champagne bottles from 1960 on are kept. We also peeked over steel beams that support the roof above the nave.
The last treat was to get up close to the front rose window, which depicts the creation of light in a lovely abstract way, and take one last look into the cathedral from a great height.
 |
| View from the gallery right under the rose window. |
We spent a little more free time exploring the chapels and crypts underground. There are over 250 people buried in the cathedral, including Helen Keller, but the only President here is Woodrow Wilson.
Next time you're in town, think about taking one of their specialty tours to get up close and personal with the gargoyles and admire the views. You'll hear so many great stories (especially if your guide is Camille!) and the ticket price supports this amazing building!
Item 5 Completed 6/22/19
13/43 items complete = 30%
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