Situated in the middle of our nation's capital, the Washington National Cathedral is a beautiful piece of architecture and culture. Construction began in 1907, and was not completed until 1990 making the the longest running construction project in DC. Although the first services were held in 1912, and since that point this monument has been a focus point for our nation. It was the site for President Teddy Roosevelt's 1907 speech, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's last sermon, and President Ronald Regan's state funeral. And even today services, lectures, and exhibits still occur within its stone walls.
Just like the Washington Monument, the National Cathedral suffered some damage from the August 23rd 2011 5.8 magnitude earthquake. Most of the damage to the building occurred at the top including the pinnacles of the tower, several of the flying buttresses, and one of the gargoyles, as well as some minor interior damage. Evaluations of the structure were made in the immediate aftermath, and repairs are on going.
The inside of the National Cathedral is absolutely stunning. Gorgeous stained glass windows, intricately designed pillars holding up the structure with its high majestic ceilings. One can definitely understand why it took 83 years to fully complete this masterpiece!
There are several different wings within the main cathedral building for prayer and worship, each one is uniquely designed and filled with delicately formed pieces of art, giving it a peaceful air of serenity.
The view is stunning from the top of the cathedral, in the Pilgrim Observation Gallery up on the seventh floor of the Cathedral in the west end tower. After the elevator ascent, the doors open into a circular gallery with windows all around offering a 360 degrees view of the city of DC and the surrounding area. If you look closely you can see the Capital and the Washington Monument from this picture. These two building stand out because the majority of the city is lowly built due to regulations from the 1899 Act of Congress.
Situated in the middle of our nation's capital, the Washington National Cathedral is a beautiful piece of architecture and culture. Construction began in 1907, and was not completed until 1990 making the the longest running construction project in DC. Although the first services were held in 1912, and since that point this monument has been a focus point for our nation. It was the site for President Teddy Roosevelt's 1907 speech, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's last sermon, and President Ronald Regan's state funeral. And even today services, lectures, and exhibits still occur within its stone walls. 
The inside of the National Cathedral is absolutely stunning. Gorgeous stained glass windows, intricately designed pillars holding up the structure with its high majestic ceilings. One can definitely understand why it took 83 years to fully complete this masterpiece! 
There are several different wings within the main cathedral building for prayer and worship, each one is uniquely designed and filled with delicately formed pieces of art, giving it a peaceful air of serenity. 
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