Sights of Washington DC

Here's a few more in my ongoing documentation of the various sights of Washington D.C... 

View from the Old Post Office.

Inside the Capitol Rotunda.

Looking out of the Capitol toward the Senate side.

"Washington resigning his commission".  This is one of 8 large paintings by John Trumbull in the Capitol Rotunda. 

Ulysses Grant's statue in the Capitol Rotunda. 

"Apotheosis of Washington" in the Capitol Rotunda depicts George Washington rising to the heavens in glory.

Washington Monument in snow and fog.

Snow at the Capitol.

Enjoying the snow!

Some sidewalk artist doodled this on a construction site.

Smithsonian Castle.

Smithsonian Castle.

Old Post Office.

A family takes pictures on the National Mall.

Street musician.

Outside the Old Post Office.

Old Post Office.

Looking out from the Old Post Office.

Treasury and White House from the Old Post Office.

Old Post Office.

A Trip Through The Washington National Cathedral-- Washington D.C.

In early 1893, planning began for what would become the Washington National Cathedral, which is the sixth largest cathedral in the world.  Construction began almost a quarter century later, on September 29, 1907. President Theodore Roosevelt presided over a ceremony during which a stone from a field near Bethlehem was set into a larger piece of American granite.

Construction would continue for 83 years until the completion of the west towers in 1990.

112 Gargoyles double as water downspouts.

Fleur De Lis' are found everywhere.

This chap greets you and invites you to enter the Cathedral.  Who could resist?

Flags in DC remain at half staff for Newtown.

The Cathedral is home to 215 stained glass windows, both secular and non-secular.  The examples below demonstrate the differences depending on the lighting. 

The Cathedral has played a significant role in American History and has played host to several notable events and dignitaries including:

• In 1968, The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., preached his last Sunday sermon from the Canterbury Pulpit;
• Many Presidential State Funerals including President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s State Funeral in 1969;
• Queen Elizabeth II, visited for a dedication ceremony in 1976;
• The Cathedral was the site of the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance service on September 14, 2001, and
• Most recently, memorial services for presidents Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford were held there in 2004 and 2007.

"The Pentagon Cross" was created with pieces from the face of the Pentagon after the 9/11 attacks.

The official name of the National Cathedral is Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

Memorial to the U.S. Founding Fathers. 

View looking up from the Crypt toward the main level.  

At least 220 people are interred in the Cathedral, including President Woodrow Wilson and Helen Keller.

The crypt has mysterious passages leading to secret vaults and catacombs. 

The Cathedral remains heavily damaged by an August 2011 earthquake.  This main tower is 30 stories tall. 

I took this shot from almost the same spot in April 2011, before the earthquake.