So I think I'm a photographer now...: A Trip Through The Washington National Cathedral-- Washington D.C.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

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.