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Popular Things To Do | Other Things To Do Tips | All Tips (34) I had to walk a bit up to get to the cathedral. First I saw its North Elevation. It is well seen from the distance and gives a visitor good orientation on how the cathedral is designed. Washington National Cathedral is a cross-shaped church and consists of a very long rectangular west-east oriented mass intersected by a transept put closer to the back (eastern) side of the edifice, look here.
There are two 71 m (234 ft) high towers put symmetrically at the west front of the cathedral and there is one, similar in design, central tower called from Latin the Gloria in Excelsis Tower put above the crossing. This tower is 91 m (301 ft) high. Hmm... it's like 30-floor contemporary building. Its top, at 206 m (676 ft) above sea level is the highest point in Washington, D.C., with the Pilgrim Observation Gallery providing a sweeping view of the city. No worries, a fog makes the view more mysterious haha. In total, the cathedral is 115 m (375 ft) above sea level.
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The rose Space Window with the stained glass called “Scientists and Technicians Window” commemorates man’s first steps on the moon and America’s exploration of space. It's put on the south aisle of the Washington National Cathedral and contains a piece of lunar rock that was presented to the Cathedral by the astronauts of Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing mission in 1969. A 7.18-gram basalt lunar rock from the Sea of Tranquility is put in the upper center of the window but I certainly couldn't see it from the down. But I saw and touched the lunar rock in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in downtown.
I thought over how many lunar rocks were broght from the Moon and where they are displayed. Once I saw a few small lunar rocks in Olsztyn Planetary and Space Observatory, Poland brought by Apollo missions. They together with the Polish national flag which was on the Moon were a gift of US president Nixon. Well, two weeks later I visited Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center southeast of Houston, Texas and the Apollo 11 Mission Control Center. I've got to know that between 1969 and 1972 six Apollo missions brought back 382 kilograms (842 pounds) of lunar rocks, pebbles, core samples, sand and dust from the lunar surface. Add samples broght from the Moon by three automated Soviet spacecrafts (well, only 300 grams in total). Check where the lunar rocks are displayed here
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I entered the National Cathedral through the North Transept.
At first, I saw on a wall: US national flag by a white marble tablet erected by the Daughter of the American Revolution "To the glory of God and in honour of the signers of the constitution of the United States of America." The tablet showed the list of signatories of the United States Constitution - 39 names from 12 states. Well, I've heard only two names: Benjamin Franklin (from Pennsylvania) and surely George Washington (Virginia). I saw the original US Constitution in the National Archives 4 days earlier. I was surprised that delegates from 12 not 13 states signed the constitution. I knew that there were 13 states that time. Well, no delegate from Rhode Island signed the document, since the state declined to send a representative. I have no idea why such a lovely, tiny state didn't want the constitution. Do you know?
Then I saw a white marble grave. Well, the cathedral is a burial place of more than 80 famous Americans (not complete list here) including Thomas Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States (1913-1921) and the only one burried in D.C. Before my trip I wrongly thought that all or almost all US presidents had been burried in the Arlington Cemetery. In fact, they are burried in different places often where they had their roots.
Finally I saw wide and very, very long northern side aisle.
Leave a Comment Address: Massachusetts & Wisconsin Ave., N.W; Washington,DCPhone: +1 (202) 537 6200Directions: By metro + bus, details here By car, get directions to/from hereWebsite: http://www.cathedral.org/cathedral Other Contact: Fax: +1 (202) 364 6600
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The most impressive part of the North Elevation of the National Cathedral is a rose window put on the end of the northern transept. A rose window, the charactaristic feauture of Gothic churches, is a circular stained glass window, with mullions and traceries generally radiating from the centre. Its origin is to be found in the Roman oculus (the round opening in the top of the dome of the Pantheon in Rome, Italy). During the Romanesque period, the oculus became a window. Later, from about the middle of the twelfth century dimensions of the window began to increase with the development of Gothic architecture.
The Washington national Cathedral has three rose windows of which the north rose window, with "The Last Judgment", is the largest stained glass window at 8 m (26 feet) in diameter (almost 4 + half matcrazy1 :-). Indeed, it's a huge window but from the distance or from down it doesn't look so huge. Well, it's difficult to believe at first that the transept itself is as high as 10-floor high building.
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I've seen countless historical sights and items in the Washington National Cathedral including patriotic school banners (open my next pictures) and a heroic white marble statue of the first president which dominates George Washington Bay located right to the main (western) entrance. At first I didn't figured out whose figure it was as the writing on the octogonal base described the man as the First Citizen and the Churchman and said that the monument was erected by freemasonry in 1947.
A few days earlier I visited the Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, a large property with the mansion where the first president of the United States, George Washington (1732 - 1799) spent most of his fascinating life, died and was buried. Thus I knew well that Washington rarely visited the Federal City although he lived only 16 miles south of its downtown, in Mount Vernon, Virginia. I also knew that he was often called the "Father of his Country" but I didn't know about his connections with church, his involment in Freemasonry and that he was called the first citizen of Washington, DC.
A Southern site for the new country's capital was agreed upon at a dinner between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. I have no idea what they had eaten but, good dining often inspires people to come up with creative and excellent ideas, right? The actual site on the Potomac River was chosen by President Washington because of its natural scenery and location close to Mount Vernon. The city was officially named "Washington" in 1791. Out of modesty, George Washington never referred to it as such, preferring to call it "the Federal City". Despite choosing the site and living nearby at Mount Vernon, he rarely visited.
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The Washington National Cathedral is is the sixth largest cathedral in the world and the second largest in the United States after Saint John's in New York City. St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is the largest church in the world. The cathedral has two levels:
- the Nave (Main Level)
- the Crypt (Lower Level).
It's impossible to get lost on the main level but if you are taking a self-guided tour you definetely need maps of the two levels and the Cathedral Close. They are displayed outside the cathedral (on the southern side). A concise leaflet with the maps and basic, short information on what to see is available in a few languages at the visitor information desk in a nave, next to the main western entrance. Go first there or download the brochure now here. Self-paced audio tours (for 2 levels, $5) are available for rental in the Churchill Porch, right to the main entrance.
Leave a Comment Address: Massachusetts & Wisconsin Ave., N.W; Washington,DCPhone: +1 (202) 537 6200Directions: By metro + bus, details here By car, get directions to/from hereWebsite: http://www.cathedral.org/cathedral Other Contact: Fax: +1 (202) 364 6600
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I paid attention to numerous works of art in the Washington National Cathedral: wood carvings, architectural sculptures, mosaics and wrought iron pieces. There are also more than 1,500 separate pieces of needlepoint in the Cathedral, some of them are very large in size. Needlepoint is a form of canvas work created on a mesh canvas, something of a dying art.
Leave a Comment Address: Massachusetts & Wisconsin Ave., N.W; Washington,DCPhone: +1 (202) 537 6200Directions: By metro + bus, details here By car, get directions to/from hereWebsite: http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/SpringfieldEstatesES/WWW/kidspage/fieldtrips/Cathedral/Needlework.html Other Contact: Fax: +1 (202) 364 6600
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I was very surprised when I got to know that the construction of the Washington National Cathedral took 83 (!) years from 1907 until 1990 although the idea for a national cathedral was as old as Washington itself. It was born in 1791, when US Congress selected the site to be the capital of the United States. More, I still saw (in 2004) scaffoldings and renovation works inside the cathedral, in the St. John's Chapel for example.
Why did the planning of the cathedral take 116 years and the construction next 83 years? Well, I guess that lack of money and then the Civil War might delay the construction of the national cathedral which should have been necessarilly impressive and thus expensive. Then when it eventually started the construction was stopped many times. World War II was one of the reasons. Construction started again in 1948 then completely stopped in 1957 and began again in 1960. In 1977 it stopped again because of lack of funds.
Well, I guess that due to constitutional separation of church and state it would be illegal to support the construction from public funds that was from federal tax payers for example. Indeed, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1791, starts with the following statement: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..."
In 20th century, in the borning car country obligatory paid taxes were spent for construction of new highways and freeways whereas churches could have been built from voluntary donations only. In 2004, I saw numerous road constructions in the South, as well as new highways and freeways often built at full speed but no church constructions. Does it mean that Americans are not religious at all? Certainly not. They already built numerous churches mostly in residential neighbourhoods. Surprisingly only about 10% - 14% Americans declare no religious preference and all US presidents believed in God.
Leave a Comment Address: Massachusetts & Wisconsin Ave., N.W; Washington,DCPhone: +1 (202) 537 6200Directions: By metro + bus, details here By car, get directions to/from hereWebsite: http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_reli.html Other Contact: +1 (202) 364 6600
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The Bethlehem Chapel is absolutely the most beautiful place I have seen in the Washington National Cathedral. The cathedral foundation stone which came from a field near Bethlehem and was inset into a larger piece of American granite was laid in this place. The underground chapel located below the nave was the first completed part of the cathedral, opened for services in 1912. There hasn't been a day, even one, without a holy service in the chapel since that time.
The Gothic chapel contains symbols and depictions of the birth and genealogy of Jesus.Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the West Bank (Israel now) which has great significance to the Christian religion as it is believed to be the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth. But I was most amazed by vaulted ceilings with ribs and supporting columns. I paid attention to boss stones. A boss is a projecting stone at the intersection of ribs, frequently elaborately carved. There are 762 boss stones in the cathedral, 640 located on the nave level but being on the 10-floor height they are not well seen there.
Traditionally just in this chapel funeral ceremonies of various famous Americans took place. Here the body of US president Dwight D. Eisenhower and other famous Americans laid in repose for at least 24 hours. Remains of another US president Woodrow Wilson were originally buried in the Bethlehem Chapel but in 1956, celebrating the centennial of his birth, the Cathedral authorities arranged for his removal to this sarcophagus in the south aisle of the nave proper.
Leave a Comment Address: Massachusetts & Wisconsin Ave., N.W; Washington,DPhone: +1 (202) 537 6200Directions: By metro + bus, details here By car, get directions to/from hereWebsite: http://www.cathedral.org/cathedral Other Contact: +1 (202) 364 6600
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The Washington National Cathedral is mostly built of Indiana limestone, chosen because it is superior for both construction and carving. The stone decorative elements are better seen outside and in the crypt although there are some stone graves along the Cathedral's wall. In the monumental nave level emptiness rules while in side chapels and bays there are gold altars, pieces of needlepoint, candlesticks and other works of art. Leave a Comment Address: Massachusetts & Wisconsin Ave., N.W; Washington,DCPhone: +1 (202) 537 6200Directions: By metro + bus, details here By car, get directions to/from hereWebsite: http://www.cathedral.org/cathedral Other Contact: Fax: +1 (202) 364 6600
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on December 25, 2005
