Washington National Cathedral

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Lore & Background

The idea for a national cathedral in Washington, D.C., was first proposed by Pierre L'Enfant in his 1791 plan for the city. However, it was not until 1893 that a charter was granted by Congress to establish the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation. Construction began in 1907 with a ceremonial address by President Theodore Roosevelt. The foundation stone was laid in 1907, and the cathedral was built over the next 83 years, using traditional Gothic construction methods. The cathedral features numerous chapels, stained glass windows, and a central tower. It has hosted many significant national events, including the funerals of Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, and Gerald Ford, as well as a memorial service for President John F. Kennedy (his state funeral was held at St. Matthew's Cathedral). The cathedral also appears in the 1973 film The Exorcist, though the iconic steps used for the final confrontation are actually the 'Exorcist Steps' connecting M Street and Prospect Street in Georgetown.

In Their Own Story

The museum stands on the former site of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station, where in 1881 a disgruntled office seeker, Charles Guiteau, shot President James Garfield. In 1908, the station was demolished because it did not conform to the McMillan Plan for the Mall. In 1918, temporary war buildings were constructed on the site; these were demolished by 1921 to construct the foundation of the George Washington Memorial Building, which was never completed. The site was then reassigned to the new National Gallery of Art. Designed by architect John Russell Pope, the new structure was completed and accepted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on behalf of the American people on March 17, 1941. At the time of its inception it was the largest marble structure in the world. Neither Mellon nor Pope lived to see the museum completed; both died in late August 1937, only two months after excavation had begun. The Gallery's East Building was constructed in the 1970s on much of the remaining land left over from the original congressional action. Andrew Mellon's children, Paul Mellon and Ailsa Mellon Bruce, funded the building. Designed by architect I. M. Pei, the contemporary structure was completed in 1978 and was opened on June 1 of that year by President Jimmy Carter. The final addition to the complex is the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, completed and opened to the public on May 23, 1999.

Reader's Guide

The museum comprises two buildings: the West Building (1941) and the East Building (1978), linked by an underground passage. The West Building, composed of pink Tennessee marble, was designed in 1937 by architect John Russell Pope in a neoclassical style. Designed in the form of an elongated H, the building is centered on a domed rotunda modeled on the interior of the Pantheon in Rome. Extending east and west from the rotunda, a pair of skylit sculpture halls provide its main circulation spine. The West Building has an extensive collection of paintings and sculptures by European masters from the medieval period through the late 19th century, as well as pre-20th century works by American artists. Highlights of the collection include paintings by Jan Vermeer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, and Leonardo da Vinci. In contrast, the design of the East Building, by architect I. M. Pei, is geometrical, dividing the trapezoidal shape of the site into two triangles: one contains public galleries, and the other houses a library, offices, and a study center. The East Building's central feature is a high atrium designed as an open interior court that is enclosed by a sculptural space spanning 16,000 sq ft (1,500 m2). The atrium is centered on the same axis that forms the circulation spine for the West Building and is constructed in the same Tennessee marble. Entry to both buildings is free of charge. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. It is closed on December 25 and January 1.

Did You Know?

• The Washington National Cathedral was completed in 1990, 83 years after construction began, and is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world.
• The cathedral appears in the 1973 film The Exorcist, but the famous final confrontation was filmed on the 'Exorcist Steps' in Georgetown, not on the cathedral's steps.
• The Washington National Cathedral is the official seat of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, making it a central hub for national spiritual leadership.
• President John F. Kennedy's state funeral was held at St. Matthew's Cathedral in Washington, D.C.; the Washington National Cathedral hosted a memorial service for him.