View source for Washington National Cathedral

{{Short description|Episcopal Cathedral in Washington, D.C.}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox church
| name            = Washington National Cathedral
|fullname         = Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in the City and the Episcopal Diocese of Washington
|denomination = [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal Church]]
| image           = 12-07-12-Washington National Cathedral-RalfR-N3S 5678-5694.jpg
| caption         = Front view of Washington National Cathedral in 2012
| location        = [[Massachusetts Avenue (Washington, D.C.)|Massachusetts Avenue]], [[Northwest, Washington, D.C.]]
| coordinates     = {{coord|38|55|50|N|77|4|15|W|display=inline,title}}
| country         = United States
| address         =
| pushpin map     = United States Washington, D.C.#USA
| relief          = yes
| website         = [https://cathedral.org/ cathedral.org]
| groundbreaking  = {{start date and age|1907|09|29}}
| completed date  = {{start date and age|1990|09|29}}
| capacity        =
| length          = {{cvt|518|ft}}
| width           = {{cvt|158|ft}}
| width transepts = {{cvt|290|ft}}
| width nave      = {{cvt|41|ft}}
| height          = {{cvt|150|ft}}
| height nave     = {{cvt|104|ft}}
| floor area       = {{cvt|83012|sqft}}
| tower quantity  = 3
| tower height    = {{cvt|301|ft}}
<ref>''Washington National Cathedral Guidebook'', Victoria Dawson and Erik Vochinsky, 2008, {{isbn|978-0-615-23612-4}}</ref>
| architect       = [[George Frederick Bodley]] and [[Henry Vaughan (architect)|Henry Vaughan]], then [[Philip Hubert Frohman]]
| style           = [[Neo-Gothic]]
| deanery = North District of Columbia
| diocese = [[Episcopal Diocese of Washington|Diocese of Washington]]
| province = [[Province 3 of the Episcopal Church|Province of Washington]]
| bishop = [[Mariann Budde|Mariann E. Budde]]
| provost = Jan Naylor Cope
| rector = [[Randolph Hollerith|Randolph M. Hollerith]]
| canon = Rosemarie Logan Duncan<br>Dana Colley Corsello<br>Kelly Brown Douglas
| canonmissioner = Leonard L. Hamlin Sr.
| priest = Spencer Brown<br>Patrick Keyser
| pastor = Jo Nygard Owens
|embedded         = {{Infobox NRHP
 | embed           = yes
 | nrhp_type       =
 | nearest_city    =
 | area            =
 | added           = May 3, 1974
 | visitation_num  =
 | visitation_year =
 | refnum          = 74002170
 | mpsub           =
 }}
}}
[[File:National Cathedral in DC.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Exterior view]]
[[File:Rose Window Washington National Cathedral.jpg|thumb|The west rose window was dedicated in 1977 in the presence of both the 39th President, [[Jimmy Carter]], and [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]] (as [[Supreme Governor of the Church of England|Supreme Governor]] of the [[Church of England]]).|upright=1.2]]

The '''Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Episcopal Diocese of Washington''', commonly known as '''Washington National Cathedral''' or '''National Cathedral''', is a [[cathedral]] of the [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal Church]]. The cathedral is located in [[Washington, D.C.]], the capital of the United States.<ref>{{Cite book |url={{Google books|plainurl=yes|id=VkXutgAACAAJ|page=}} |title=Consecration of the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Episcopal Diocese of Washington: A Litany of Thanksgiving: Celebration of the Holy Eucharist ... : Sunday, September Thirtieth, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety, at Eleven O'clock |last=Episcopal Church |publisher=The Cathedral |year=1990 |access-date=April 6, 2013}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web |url=http://archive.episcopalchurch.org/109399_12389_ENG_HTM.htm |title=Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Episcopal Diocese of Washington |last=The Episcopal Church Center |year=2011 |access-date=April 6, 2013}}</ref> The structure is of [[Neo-Gothic]] design closely modeled on [[English Gothic architecture|English Gothic]] style of the late fourteenth century. It is the [[List of largest church buildings|second-largest church building]] in the United States,<ref name="facts">{{cite web |url=https://cathedral.org/architecture/facts-figures/ |website=Washington National Cathedral |title=Facts & Figures}}</ref> and the [[List of tallest buildings in Washington, D.C.|third-tallest building in Washington, D.C.]] The cathedral is the seat of both the [[presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church]] and the bishop of the [[Episcopal Diocese of Washington]]. Over 270,000 people visit the structure annually.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://annualreport.cathedral.org/#/highlights |title=Annual Report: Highlights |website=Washington National Cathedral |date=2016 |access-date=April 23, 2018 |archive-date=December 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181217111124/https://annualreport.cathedral.org/#/highlights |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation]], under the first seven bishops of Washington, erected the cathedral under a charter passed by the [[United States Congress]] on January 6, 1893.<ref>{{Cite book |title=A House of Prayer for All People: A History of Washington National Cathedral |last=Quinn |first=Fredrick |date=October 1, 2014 |publisher=Church Publishing, Inc. |isbn=9780819229243 |page=3 |quote=The quest for a National Cathedral, the best-known endeavor of Satterlee's episcopate, had deep roots in American national life. Major [[Pierre L'Enfant]] envisioned "a great church for national purposes" in his original plans for the city of Washington, but nothing came of the idea. After several meetings of leading Washington figures, including planning sessions in the home of Charles C. Glover, president of the Riggs Bank, the Protestant Episcopal Church Foundation was created on January 6, 1893, by Act of Congress, signed by President Benjamin Harrison.}}</ref> Construction began on September 29, 1907, when the [[foundation stone]] was laid in the presence of President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] and a crowd of more than 20,000, and ended 83 years later when the "final [[finial]]" was placed in the presence of President [[George H. W. Bush]] on September 29, 1990. Decorative and restorative work, particularly of damage from [[2011 Virginia earthquake|a nearby earthquake in 2011]], is ongoing {{as of|2024|lc=y|post=.}} The Foundation is the legal entity of which all institutions on the Cathedral Close are a part; its corporate staff provides services for the institutions to help enable their missions, conducts work of the Foundation itself that is not done by the other entities, and serves as staff for the board of trustees.

The cathedral stands at [[Massachusetts Avenue (Washington, D.C.)|Massachusetts]] and [[Wisconsin Avenue]]s in the [[Washington, D.C. (northwest)|northwest quadrant]] of Washington. It is an associate member of the inter-denominational [[Washington Theological Consortium]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.washtheocon.org/members.html |title=Member Institutions |publisher=Washington Theological Consortium |access-date=October 2, 2009}}</ref> It is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. In 2007, it was ranked third on the [[List of America's Favorite Architecture according to the AIA|List of America's Favorite Architecture]] by the [[American Institute of Architects]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Clark |first=Jayne |date=June 21, 2007 |title=National Cathedral Celebrates Its Centennial |work=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2007-06-21-national-cathedral-dc_N.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106225445/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2007-06-21-national-cathedral-dc_N.htm |archive-date=Nov 6, 2018}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Washington National Cathedral Looking SE.jpg|thumb|Washington National Cathedral Looking SE showing substantial use of [[flying buttress]]es.|upright=1.2]]

===Construction===
In 1792, [[Pierre L'Enfant]]'s "[[L'Enfant Plan|Plan of the Federal City]]" specified a site for a "great church for national purposes". However he defined it as non-sectarian and nondenominational. [[Alexander Hamilton]] modified L'Enfant's plan and eliminated the "church" and several other proposed monuments and that plan was never reproduced. The working plan for the new city was subsequently produced by Andrew Ellicott and it varied in many respects from L'Enfant's. although the essence remained. The [[National Portrait Gallery (United States)|National Portrait Gallery]] now occupies that site.

In 1891, a meeting was held to begin plans for an Episcopal cathedral in Washington. On January 6, 1893, the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation of the District of Columbia was granted a charter from Congress to establish the cathedral. The [[52nd United States Congress]] declared in the act to incorporate the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation of the District of Columbia that the "said corporation is hereby empowered to establish and maintain within the District of Columbia a cathedral and institutions of learning for the promotion of religion and education and charity."<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Statutes At Large of the United States of America, From December, 1891, To March, 1893, And Recent Treaties, Conventions, and Executive Proclamations |author=United States Secretary of State |publisher=[[United States Congress]] |year=1893 |page=414 |chapter=An Act to incorporate the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation of the District of Columbia |access-date=November 16, 2014 |chapter-url=http://legisworks.org/sal/27/stats/STATUTE-27-Pg414.pdf|author-link=United States Secretary of State }}</ref> The commanding site on Mount Saint Alban was chosen.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Religion: For National Purposes -- Printout -- TIME |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/printout/0,8816,743719,00.html |access-date=2024-06-16 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref> [[Henry Yates Satterlee]], first Episcopal bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, chose [[George Frederick Bodley]], [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|Britain's]] leading [[Church of England|Anglican]] church architect, as the head architect. [[Henry Vaughan (architect)|Henry Vaughan]] was selected supervising architect.

Construction started on September 29, 1907, with a ceremonial address by President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] and the laying of the cornerstone. In 1912, Bethlehem Chapel opened for services in the unfinished cathedral, which have continued daily ever since. When construction of the cathedral resumed after a brief hiatus for [[World War I]], both Bodley and Vaughan had died. Gen. [[John J. Pershing]] led fundraising efforts for the church after World War I. American architect [[Philip Hubert Frohman]] took over the design of the cathedral and was thenceforth designated the principal architect. Funding for Washington National Cathedral has come entirely from private sources. Maintenance and upkeep continue to rely entirely upon private support.
<gallery caption="Construction of the Washington National Cathedral" widths="120" heights="90" perrow="4">
National Cathedral under construction, Washington, D.C. LCCN2016890226.jpg
National Cathedral under construction, Washington, D.C. LCCN2016890227.jpg
National Cathedral under construction, Washington, D.C. LCCN2016890228.jpg
View of National Cathedral under construction, Washington, D.C. LCCN2016890225.jpg
</gallery>

===National role===
[[File:WashNatCathedralx1.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of the Washington National Cathedral|upright=1.2]]

From its earliest days, the cathedral has been promoted as more than simply an Episcopal cathedral. Planners hoped it would play a role similar to [[Westminster Abbey]]. They wanted it to be a national shrine and a venue for great services. For much of the cathedral's history, this was captured in the phrase "a house of prayer for all people." In more recent times the phrases "national house of prayer" and "spiritual home for the nation" have been used. The cathedral has achieved this status simply by offering itself and being accepted by religious and political leaders as playing this role.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Morales |first=Teresa F. |title=The Last Stone is Just the Beginning: A Rhetorical Biography of Washington National Cathedral |date=2013 |publisher=Georgia State University |url=https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/communication_diss/42/ |language=en}}</ref>

Its initial charter was similar to those granted to [[American University]], [[Catholic University of America|The Catholic University of America]], and other not-for-profit entities founded in the District of Columbia {{circa|1900}}. Contrary to popular misconception, the government has not designated it as a national house of prayer.

During World War II, monthly services were held there "on behalf of a united people in a time of emergency."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://politi.co/2DGogo0|title=Foundation stone for Washington National Cathedral is laid, Sept. 29, 1907|last=Andrew Glass|website=POLITICO|date=September 29, 2018 |language=en|access-date=February 9, 2020}}</ref> Before and since, the structure has hosted other major events, both religious and secular, that have drawn the attention of the American people, as well as tourists from around the world.

==Major events==
===Major services===
[[File:REAGANWNC.jpg|thumb|The 2004 state funeral of the 40th President, [[Ronald Reagan]]|upright=1.2]]
State funerals for five [[President of the United States|American presidents]] have been held at the cathedral:<ref name="Washington National Cathedral - Presidential Funerals">{{Cite web |title=Presidential Funerals |url=https://cathedral.org/history/prominent-services/presidential-funerals/ |access-date=December 3, 2022 |website=Washington National Cathedral |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/01/former-president-george-hw-bush-dead-at-age-94.html |title=Former President George HW Bush dies at 94; Trump designates Wednesday as national day of mourning, markets to close |first=Cynthia |last=Johnson |website=CNBC |date=November 30, 2018 |access-date=December 1, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Zeke |last2=Lucey |first2=Catherine |date=December 1, 2018 |title=Trumps to Attend State Funeral for George H.W. Bush |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-remember-george-hw-bush-for-unflappable-leadership/2018/12/01/f1b99178-f533-11e8-99c2-cfca6fcf610c_story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181202070714/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-remember-george-hw-bush-for-unflappable-leadership/2018/12/01/f1b99178-f533-11e8-99c2-cfca6fcf610c_story.html |archive-date=December 2, 2018 |access-date=December 1, 2018 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>
* 34th President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] (1969): [[lay in repose]] at the cathedral before [[lying in state]]
* 40th President [[Ronald Reagan]] (2004)
* 38th President [[Gerald Ford]] (2007)
* 41st President [[George H. W. Bush]] (2018)
* 39th President [[Jimmy Carter]] (2025)

Memorial services were also held at the cathedral for the following presidents:<ref name="Washington National Cathedral – Presidential Funerals" />
* 29th President [[Warren G. Harding]]
* 27th President [[William Howard Taft]]
* 30th President [[Calvin Coolidge]]
* 33rd President [[Harry S. Truman]]
* 37th President [[Richard Nixon]]

Presidential prayer services were held the day after the [[United States presidential inauguration|inaugurations]] for:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalcathedral.org/about/presidentialInaugurals.shtml |title=Presidential Inaugural Prayer Services at Washington National Cathedral |website=Washington National Cathedral |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402023439/http://cathedral.org/about/presidentialInaugurals.shtml |archive-date=April 2, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* 32nd President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]'s second inauguration in January 1937
* 40th President [[Ronald Reagan]]'s second inauguration in 1985
* 41st President [[George H. W. Bush]]'s inauguration in 1989
* 43rd President [[George W. Bush]]'s first and second inaugurations in 2001 and 2005
* 44th President [[Barack Obama]]'s first and second inaugurations in 2009 and 2013
* 45th President [[Donald Trump]]'s first inauguration in 2017<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cathedral.org/event/58th-presidential-inaugural-prayer-service/ |title=The 58th Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service |website=Washington National Cathedral |access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref>
* 46th President [[Joe Biden]]'s inauguration in 2021
* 47th President [[Donald Trump]]'s second inauguration in 2025

[[File:Washington National Cathedral (March For Our Lives prayer and vigil).jpg|thumb|Prayer and vigil for the [[March for Our Lives]] rally, March 23, 2018|upright=1.2]]

Other events have included:
* Funeral for former first lady [[Edith Wilson]] (1961)<ref name="Washington National Cathedral – Presidential Funerals" />
* Memorial service for former first lady [[Eleanor Roosevelt]] (1962)<ref name="Washington National Cathedral – Presidential Funerals" />
* Memorial service for [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] was held at the cathedral the week after he was [[Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.|assassinated on April 4, 1968]].
* Memorial service and interment of [[Helen Keller]] (1968)<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 4, 1968|title=Service for Helen Keller |work=Canberra Times |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/107055476?searchTerm=Helen%20Keller|page=[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/107055476/11662132 Page 5 ] col 1 |access-date=November 13, 2022|quote=Miss Keller's body was cremated today at a private ceremony. The ashes will be taken to Washington tomorrow and will be placed in a crypt in the cathedral following the service.}}</ref>
* Memorial service for the casualties of the [[Vietnam War]] on November 14, 1982
* Funeral for Supreme Court Justice [[Thurgood Marshall]] on January 29, 1993
* Public funeral for Chief of Naval Operations, [[United States Navy]], Admiral [[Jeremy Michael Boorda]] (1996)
* Funeral for [[United States Secretary of Commerce|Secretary of Commerce]] [[Ron Brown|Ronald Brown]] (1996)
* Funeral for U.S. Ambassador to France [[Pamela Harriman]] (1997)
* Memorial service following the [[death of Diana, Princess of Wales]] (September 6, 1997)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/diana/stories/cathedral.htm|title=Washington Says Goodbye to Diana|newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Retha|last=Hill|date=September 6, 1997|access-date=May 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708222454/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/diana/stories/cathedral.htm|archive-date=July 8, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Funeral for ''[[The Washington Post]]'' newspaper publisher [[Katharine Graham]] (2001)
* Memorial service for the victims of the [[September 11 attacks|September 11, 2001, attacks]]
* Special [[Evening Prayer (Anglican)|evensong]] for the victims of the [[Virginia Tech shooting]]
* Funeral for educator and national civil rights leader [[Dorothy Height]] (2010)
* Memorial service for [[NASA]] [[astronaut]] and first person on the Moon [[Neil Armstrong]] (2012)
* Funeral for [[United States Senator|Senator]] [[Daniel Inouye]] of [[Hawaii]], [[President Pro Tempore of the Senate]], and [[Medal of Honor]] recipient (2012)
* Funeral for [[Charles Colson]], founder of Prison Fellowship (2012)<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 16, 2012 |title=Charles W. Colson Funeral |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/charles-w-colson-funeral/2012/05/16/gIQAihZMUU_gallery.html |access-date=October 27, 2018}}</ref>
* Memorial service for former [[South African President]] and anti-apartheid activist [[Nelson Mandela]] (2014)
* Interfaith service of Prayer and Remembrance: The Fifteenth Anniversary of the [[September 11 attacks|September 11, 2001, attacks]], Sunday September 11, 2016
* March for Our Lives Prayer Vigil: A vigil for "activists, students and pilgrims" participating in the [[March for Our Lives]] anti-gun violence rally in Washington, D.C. and other cities, Friday March 23, 2018<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cathedral.org/event/march-lives-prayer-vigil/ |title=March for Our Lives Prayer Vigil |website=Washington National Cathedral |access-date=March 23, 2018}}</ref>
* Funeral for U.S. Senator [[John McCain]] of [[Arizona]] (September 1, 2018)
* Service of Thanksgiving and Remembrance for [[Matthew Shepard]] (October 26, 2018).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cathedral.org/matthewshepard|title=Celebration of Life and Interment for Matthew Wayne Shepard}}</ref>
* Funeral for U.S. Army General (Ret.), Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former Secretary of State [[Colin Powell]] (November 5, 2021).
* Funeral for U.S. Senator [[Bob Dole]] of [[Kansas]] (December 10, 2021)
* Funeral for former [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] and diplomat [[Madeleine Albright]] (April 27, 2022)
* Memorial service following the [[death of Queen Elizabeth II]] (September 21, 2022)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/politics/a41245384/donald-trump-barack-obama-george-bush-queen-elizabeth-memorial/|title=All of the Living Former Presidents Have Been Invited to a Memorial for Queen Elizabeth|work=Town & Country|first=Lauren|last=Hubbard|date=September 16, 2022|accessdate=September 16, 2022}}</ref>
* Funeral for former Supreme Court Justice [[Sandra Day O'Connor]] (Dec. 19, 2023)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT2-AvvN2sA | title=12.19.23 Funeral of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | website=[[YouTube]] | date=December 19, 2023 }}</ref>

===2011 earthquake===
[[File:Washington National Cathedral undergoing repair in 2017.jpg|thumb|right|Washington National Cathedral undergoing repairs in 2017]]
The cathedral was damaged in August 2011 during the [[2011 Virginia earthquake|Virginia earthquake]]. [[Finial]] stones on several pinnacles broke off, and several pinnacles twisted out of alignment or collapsed entirely. Some gargoyles and other carvings were damaged, and a hole was punched through the metal-clad roof by falling masonry. Cracks also appeared in the flying buttresses surrounding the apse. Inside, initial inspections revealed less damage, with some mortar joints loose or falling out.<ref name="wjladamages">{{Cite news |last=Kennedy |first=Suzanne |date=August 25, 2011 |title=D.C. Earthquake Damages National Cathedral, Washington Monument |work=WJLA-TV |url=http://www.wjla.com/articles/2011/08/d-c-earthquake-damages-national-cathedral-washington-monument-65647.html |url-status=dead |access-date=August 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111028152427/http://www.wjla.com/articles/2011/08/d-c-earthquake-damages-national-cathedral-washington-monument-65647.html |archive-date=October 28, 2011}}</ref> The cathedral, which had no [[earthquake insurance]], struggled to cope with the cost of the damage.<ref name="fandos" />

Washington National Cathedral closed from August 24 to November 7, 2011,<ref name="wjladamages" /> as $2 million was spent to stabilize the structure and remove damaged or loose stone.<ref name="fandos" /> Safety netting was erected throughout the nave to protect visitors from any debris that might fall from above.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/sep/1/national-cathedral-adds-safety-netting/ |title=National Cathedral Adds Safety Netting |last=Hill |first=Daniel |date=September 1, 2011 |work=The Washington Times |access-date=July 5, 2015}}</ref> The cathedral reopened for the consecration and installation of [[Mariann Budde]] as the ninth Bishop of Washington on November 12, 2011.<ref name="ruanecost">{{Cite news |title=Cathedral Seeks to Raise $25 Million |last=Ruane |first=Michael E. |date=October 5, 2011 |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=B1}}</ref> At that time, estimates of the cost of the damage were about $25&nbsp;million.<ref name="ruanecost" />

Identifying the full extent of the damage and construction planning and studies over the next two years consumed another $2.5 million.<ref name="fandos" /> In 2011, the cathedral received a $700,000 preservation work matching grant from the [[Save America's Treasures]] program, a public-private partnership operated by the nonprofit [[National Trust for Historic Preservation]]. The program, which is federally funded, required the cathedral to match the grant dollar-for-dollar with private funds and use the money solely for preservation work.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/arts-post/2011/02/americas_treasures_receive_fed.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130823053011/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/arts-post/2011/02/americas_treasures_receive_fed.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 23, 2013 |title=National Cathedral, Renwick Gallery Win Federal Funds |last=Trescott |first=Jacqueline |date=February 2, 2011 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=July 5, 2015}}</ref>

Although fundraising to repair the damage began soon after the earthquake, it took the cathedral three years to raise the $15&nbsp;million to complete the first phase of repairs.<ref name="fandos" /> In August 2013, the cost of the repairs was re-estimated at $26 million. About $10 million had already been raised by this date to pay for the repairs, half of that coming from the Lilly Endowment.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/08/national-cathedral-earthquake-repairs-to-top-26-million-93087.html |title=National Cathedral Earthquake Repairs to Top $26 million |date=August 22, 2013 |work=WJLA-TV |access-date=July 5, 2015 |archive-date=November 8, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131108072114/http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/08/national-cathedral-earthquake-repairs-to-top-26-million-93087.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The cathedral began charging a $10 admission fee for tourists in January 2014, and started renting out its worship and other spaces to outside groups to raise cash.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/national-cathedral-opens-worship-space-to-free-classes-and-more-to-boost-profile-coffers/2014/01/14/216f87b4-7d3f-11e3-95c6-0a7aa80874bc_story.html |title=National Cathedral Opens Worship Space to Free Classes and More to Boost Profile, Coffers |last=Boorstein |first=Michelle |date=January 15, 2014 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> The cathedral also transformed the Herb Cottage (its old baptistry building adjacent to the cathedral) into a for-profit [[coffeehouse]] operated by the Open City café chain.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/religion-events-from-around-the-washington-area/2014/12/05/2a33626c-7c26-11e4-b821-503cc7efed9e_story.html |title=Religion Events From Around the Washington Area |last=Marmer |first=Gerri |date=December 5, 2014 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>

Phase I of the restoration, which cost $10&nbsp;million,<ref name="fandos" /> repaired the internal ceiling's stone and mortar and was completed in February 2015. The planned 10-year, $22 million Phase II will repair or replace the damaged stones atop the cathedral.<ref name="StoneMason">{{Cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/fox-news-sunday-chris-wallace/videos#p/158303/v/4154874618001 |title=Making Washington's National Cathedral Whole Again |date=April 5, 2015 |work=Fox News |access-date=April 6, 2015 |format=video}}</ref>

In June 2015, Washington National Cathedral leaders said the church needed $200&nbsp;million, which would both complete repairs and expand its endowment to give the cathedral financial stability. The cathedral began working on a capital fundraising campaign, which ''The New York Times'' said was one of the largest ever by an American religious institution, to begin in 2018 or 2019.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fandos |first=Nicholas |date=July 5, 2015 |title=National Cathedral's Repair Work: Finials, Finances and Faith |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/05/us/national-cathedrals-repair-work-finials-finance-and-faith.html |access-date=September 15, 2024 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> Hall said that the cathedral also planned to reopen the former College of Preachers and its Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage (a space on the cathedral's crypt level dedicated to prayer, meditation, and devotional practice). After three years of deficit spending, however, the cathedral also announced additional cuts to music programs to balance its budget.<ref name="fandos" />

In September 2022, the Cathedral publicly launched a $150 million comprehensive campaign, ''A Cathedral for the Future,'' which targets raising all necessary funds to complete the remaining earthquake repairs, estimated at around $24 million.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2022/09/25/washington-national-cathedral-dc-fundraising/ |title=National Cathedral raises $115 million for earthquake repairs, future |work=The Washington Post |last=Kunkle |first=Fredrick |date=September 25, 2022 |access-date=January 15, 2025}}</ref> Once full funding is acquired, project managers estimate it will take several years to complete, given the complexity of the work and the great heights and weather conditions. The Cathedral hopes to complete all earthquake repairs by 2030. The Cathedral for the Future campaign concluded in early 2025, raising $185 million dollars. The funding supports future ministries ($97 million), earthquake damage, the organ restoration project, allowed for the appointment of a Pastor for Digital Ministry, and endowed the office of the Canon Missioner and Canon Vicar.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

=== Lee-Jackson stained glass windows ===
[[File:Robert Edward Lee in art at the Battle of Chancellorsville in a stained glass window of the Washington National Cathedral, from- Robert E Lee Stain Glass (cropped).JPG|thumb|150px|Robert Edward Lee in art at the Battle of Chancellorsville in a stained glass window of the Washington National Cathedral (removed in 2017)]]

[[File:Stonewall Jackson with the flag of the Confederate States in art in a stained glass window of the Washington National Cathedral detail, from- Stonewall Jackson Stain Glass (cropped).JPG| thumb|150px|Jackson reading the Bible in a Confederate camp in a stained glass window of the Washington National Cathedral. The windows were removed in 2017.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/09/06/washington-national-cathedral-to-remove-stained-glass-windows-honoring-robert-e-lee-stonewall-jackson/|title=Washington National Cathedral to remove stained glass windows honoring Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson|last=Boorstein|first=Michelle|date=September 6, 2017|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>]]

{{See also|Modern display of the Confederate flag|Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials}}
In June 2016, after an examination by a five-person task force, it was announced that two Confederate battle flag images would be removed from stained glass windows commemorating the lives of Confederate generals [[Robert E. Lee]] and [[Stonewall Jackson]].  The windows were installed in 1953 after lobbying by the [[United Daughters of the Confederacy]]. In its report, the task force wrote that it "is unanimous in its decision that the windows provide a catalyst for honest discussions about race and the legacy of slavery and for addressing the uncomfortable and too often avoided issues of race in America. Moreover, the windows serve as a profound witness to the cathedral's own complex history in relationship to race."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://cathedral.org/press-room/cathedral-to-explore-racial-justice-through-public-forums-arts-worship/ |title=Cathedral to Explore Racial Justice Through Public Forums, Arts, Worship |work=Washington National Cathedral |access-date=October 25, 2016}}</ref>

On September 6, 2017, the cathedral, in a statement signed by the Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, dean of the cathedral, and John Donoghue, chair of the cathedral chapter, announced its decision to deconsecrate and remove the stained glass windows honoring Lee and Jackson.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cathedral.org/press-room/announcement-future-lee-jackson-windows/ |title=Announcement on the Future of the Lee-Jackson Windows |first1=Mariann Edgar |last1=Budde |first2=Randolph Marshall |last2=Hollerith |first3=John |last3=Donoghue |date=September 6, 2017 |website=Washington National Cathedral |access-date=September 6, 2017 |archive-date=November 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122153853/https://cathedral.org/press-room/announcement-future-lee-jackson-windows/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Robert E. Lee window was subsequently loaned to the Smithsonian Institution's [[National Museum of African American History and Culture]] for an exhibit on the legacy of Reconstruction.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cathedral Loans Robert E. Lee Stained Glass Window to Smithsonian |url=https://cathedral.org/about/news-media/cathedral-loans-robert-e-lee-stained-glass-window-to-smithsonian/ |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=Washington National Cathedral |language=en}}</ref>

On September 23, 2023, the "Now and Forever" Windows were unveiled and dedicated at the Cathedral.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-09-23 |title=For $18.65, famous artist designs racial justice windows for National Cathedral |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2023/09/23/national-cathedral-kerry-james-marshall-windows/ |access-date=2024-09-16 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en}}</ref> The dedication service featured remarks from visual artist and window designer [[Kerry James Marshall]], and a special reading of 'American Song' by poet [[Elizabeth Alexander (poet)|Elizabeth Alexander]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Andone |first=Dakin |date=2023-09-24 |title=Washington National Cathedral reveals new stained glass windows that replace those that honored Confederate generals |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/24/us/washington-national-cathedral-stained-glass-windows/index.html |access-date=2023-10-30 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

==Financial challenges and recent success==
In January 2003, [[Nathan D. Baxter]], [[Dean (Christianity)|dean]] of the cathedral, announced his retirement effective from June 30, 2003. Baxter had led the cathedral since 1991.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Baxter Plans to Step Down as Dean of National Cathedral |date=January 23, 2003 |publisher=The Episcopal Church |url=https://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/article/baxter-plans-step-down-dean-national-cathedral}}</ref> After an 18-month search, [[Samuel T. Lloyd III]] was named dean and began his tenure on April 23, 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cathedral.org/staff/the-very-rev-samuel-t-lloyd-iii/ |title=The Very Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd III |website=Washington National Cathedral}}</ref> Using a $15&nbsp;million bequest the cathedral received in 2000, Lloyd rapidly expanded the cathedral's programming.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/408585924 |title=Rockville Woman Leaves $15 Million to Cathedral |last=Murphy |first=Caryle |date=March 18, 2000 |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=B3 |id={{ProQuest|408585924}} }}</ref><ref name="fandos">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/05/us/national-cathedrals-repair-work-finials-finance-and-faith.html |title=National Cathedral's Repair Work: Finials, Finance and Faith |last=Fandos |first=Nicholas |date=July 4, 2015 |work=The New York Times |access-date=July 5, 2015}}</ref> Meanwhile, the cathedral deferred maintenance and decided not to make needed repairs.<ref name="fandos" /> Construction also began in summer 2005 on a $34 million, four-level, 430-car underground parking garage. It opened in 2007.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Washington, D.C.: Cathedral opens first underground bus garage in nation's capital |date=May 11, 2007 |publisher=The Episcopal Church |url=https://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/article/washington-dc-cathedral-opens-first-underground-bus-garage-nations-capital |access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref><ref name="fandos" /> The structure was pushed by [[John Bryson Chane]], bishop of the [[Episcopal Diocese of Washington]], and was mostly funded by debt. Payments on the garage were $500,000 per year, with a major increase in the annual debt service beginning in 2017.<ref name="zongkerneeds">{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/National-Cathedrals-Preservation-Needs-Top-50-Million-142660786.html |title=National Cathedral's Preservation, Financial Needs Top $50 Million |last=Zongker |first=Brett |date=March 14, 2012 |agency=Associated Press |access-date=July 5, 2015 |via=NBC4 Washington}}</ref> In early 2008, the National Cathedral Association, the church's fundraising donor network, was disbanded after cathedral leaders concluded that the building was "finished" and it was no longer necessary to raise significant funds for construction.<ref name="fandos" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://cathedral.org/national-cathedral-association/history/ |title=History: National Cathedral Association |website=Washington National Cathedral |access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref>

The 2008–2009 [[Great Recession]] hit the cathedral hard. By June 2010, the cathedral cut its budget from $27&nbsp;million to $13&nbsp;million, [[outsourcing|outsourced]] the operation of its [[gift shop]], shut its greenhouse, cancelled its plans to replace the Skinner organ in the sanctuary, and ceased operation of the College of Preachers that had provided Episcopal clergy nationwide with continuing theological education. The cathedral also laid off 100 of its 170 staff members, including its art [[Conservator-restorer|conservator]] and its liturgist (who researched and advocated the use of [[Christian liturgy|liturgies]] at the cathedral).<ref name="gowen">{{Cite news |url=http://archive.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/06/11/national_cathedral_finds_itself_in_a_bind/ |title=National Cathedral finds itself in a bind |last=Gowen |first=Annie |date=June 11, 2010 |newspaper=The Washington Post |via=Boston.com}}</ref> It also significantly cut back on programming, music performances, and classes.<ref name="sullivanleave">{{Cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Patricia |date=July 8, 2011 |title=The Very Rev. Samuel Lloyd, Dean of Washington National Cathedral, to Resign |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/the-very-rev-samuel-lloyd-dean-of-washington-national-cathedral-to-resign/2011/07/08/gIQAbd3O4H_story.html |access-date=April 23, 2018 }}</ref> To help stabilize its finances, the cathedral began an $11&nbsp;million fundraising campaign and used $2.5&nbsp;million of its $50&nbsp;million endowment to plug budget holes.<ref name="gowen" /> The National Cathedral Association was recreated as well.<ref name="zongkerneeds" />

In June 2010, the cathedral announced that it was exploring the sale of its rare book collection, the value of which was estimated to be several million dollars.<ref name="gowen" /> It sold a number of books to a private collector in 2011 for $857,000<ref name="fandos" /> and in 2013 donated most of the remaining collection to [[Virginia Theological Seminary]].<ref name="fandos" /><ref>{{Cite press release |title=Bishop Payne Library Receives Large Collection of Rare Books from the Washington National Cathedral |date=January 25, 2013 |url=https://www.vts.edu/page/news-detail?pk=829296 |access-date=July 5, 2015 |publisher=Virginia Theological Seminary}}</ref>

As the economic downturn continued, a report by cathedral staff identified $30&nbsp;million in needed maintenance and repairs.<ref name="fandos" /> Among the problems were cracked and missing mortar in the oldest sections of the building; broken [[HVAC]], mechanical, and plumbing systems throughout the structure; extensive preservation needs; and a main organ in disrepair. [[Repointing]] the building's masonry was estimated to cost at least $5 million, while organ repair was set at $15 million.<ref name="zongkerneeds" />

The Very Rev. [[Randolph Hollerith]] was named the 11th dean of the Cathedral on May 23, 2016<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith Named As New Dean of Washington National Cathedral |url=https://cathedral.org/about/news-media/the-rev-randolph-marshall-hollerith-named-as-new-dean-of-washington-national-cathedral/ |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=Washington National Cathedral |language=en}}</ref> and began his tenure on Aug. 1, 2016. He was installed in November, 2016. In 2019, he launched the Cathedral's five-year Strategic Plan<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mission & Vision |url=https://cathedral.org/about/mission-vision/ |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=Washington National Cathedral |language=en}}</ref> to focus on Welcoming, Deepening, Convening and Serving. In order to carry out the mission priorities of the five-year plan, the Cathedral launched a $150 million ''A Cathedral for the Future'' comprehensive campaign; at its public launch in 2022, the campaign had already surpassed $115 million.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kunkle |first=Fredrick |date=2022-09-25 |title=National Cathedral raises $115 million for earthquake repairs, future |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2022/09/25/washington-national-cathedral-dc-fundraising/ |access-date=2024-09-16 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> The multifaceted campaign aims to secure total funding to complete earthquake repairs, fully renovate the 1938 Ernest M. Skinner & Son pipe organ, replace the audio system in the Cathedral nave, and sustain all operations over a five-year period.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Cathedral for the Future: The Campaign for Washington National Cathedral |url=https://campaign.cathedral.org/?_ga=2.27509372.1189816590.1726450004-127034826.1706286549 |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=Campaign |language=en}}</ref> A centerpiece of the campaign is the new Virginia Mae Center<ref>{{Cite web |title=About the Virginia Mae Center |url=https://cathedral.org/college/about-the-virginia-mae-center/ |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=Washington National Cathedral |language=en}}</ref> (formerly known as the College of Preachers), which underwent a $24 million renovation to reopen as a fully accessible retreat house and conference center, and to serve as a hub of operations for the newly launched Cathedral College of Faith & Culture.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Weil |first=Julie Zauzmer |date=2019-06-07 |title=Washington National Cathedral will open a new educational center, thanks to $22 million in donations |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2019/06/06/national-cathedral-will-open-new-educational-center-thanks-million-donations/ |access-date=2024-09-16 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

Hollerith also navigated the Cathedral through dramatic changes and a pivot to digital-first operations when the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] closed the Cathedral's doors for nearly 18 months.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bailey |first=Sarah Pulliam |date=2020-11-27 |title=Closed for Christmas, Washington National Cathedral is more popular than ever |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/closed-for-christmas-washington-national-cathedral-is-more-popular-than-ever/2020/11/27/ab71990a-2f50-11eb-96c2-aac3f162215d_story.html |access-date=2024-09-16 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> From March 2020 through July 2021, all Cathedral services were online, with only minimal clergy and musicians inside the Cathedral. The Cathedral's first Easter service during COVID, in 2020, attracted more than 50,000 online viewers,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cathedral Age Summer 2020 Page 2 |url=https://mydigimag.rrd.com/publication/?m=46623&i=666173&p=4&ver=html5 |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=mydigimag.rrd.com |language=en-US}}</ref> and the Cathedral now counts a virtual congregation that spans six continents, with 3,000-5,000 viewers joining online for Sunday worship services every week.

Since 2016, under Hollerith's leadership and financial stewardship, the Cathedral has stabilized its finances, reporting consecutive annual operating surpluses in its audited financial statements,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cathedral Age Fall/Winter 2021 Page 22 |url=https://mydigimag.rrd.com/publication/?i=734720&p=24&view=issueViewer&pp=1 |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=mydigimag.rrd.com |language=en-US}}</ref> and moving forward with some large capital projects including the renovation and opening of the Virginia Mae Center,<ref>{{Cite web |title=About the Virginia Mae Center |url=https://cathedral.org/college/about-the-virginia-mae-center/ |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=Washington National Cathedral |language=en}}</ref> commencement of the great organ renovation,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Organ Renovation |url=https://cathedral.org/music/organ/ |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=Washington National Cathedral |language=en}}</ref> and continued earthquake repairs.

==Architecture==
[[File:National Cathedral Center.jpg|thumb|right|Looking east, looking up to the choir of the cathedral]]
[[File:Ceiling of Washington National Cathedral.JPG|thumb|right|Nave vaulting facing east]]
[[File:Nationalcathedral08.jpg|thumb|upright=0.5|Side view]]
The cathedral's final design shows a mix of influences from the various [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] architectural styles of the [[Middle Ages]], identifiable in its pointed [[arch]]es, [[flying buttress]]es, a variety of ceiling [[vault (architecture)|vaulting]], [[stained glass|stained-glass]] windows and carved decorations in stone, and by its three similar towers, two on the west front and one surmounting the [[crossing (architecture)|crossing]].

The structure consists of a long, narrow rectangular mass formed by a nine-[[Bay (architecture)|bay]] [[nave]] with wide side aisles and a five-bay [[chancel]], intersected by a six-bay [[transept]]. Above the crossing, rising {{cvt|301|ft}} above the ground, is the Gloria in Excelsis Tower; its top, at {{cvt|676|ft}} above [[sea level]], is the highest point in Washington.<ref name="facts" /> The Pilgrim Observation Gallery—which occupies a space about 3/4ths of the way up in the west-end towers—provides sweeping views of the city. Unique in North America, the central tower has two full sets of bells—a 53-bell [[carillon]] and a 10-bell peal for [[change ringing]]; the change bells are rung by members of the Washington Ringing Society.<ref name="facts" /> The cathedral sits on a landscaped {{convert|57|acre|adj=on}} plot on Mount Saint Alban.<ref name="facts" /> The one-story porch projecting from the south transept has a large portal with a carved [[tympanum (architecture)|tympanum]]. This portal is approached by the Pilgrim Steps, a long flight of steps {{convert|40|ft}} wide.

Most of the building is constructed using a buff-colored [[Indiana limestone]] over a traditional masonry core. Structural, load-bearing steel is limited to the roof's trusses (traditionally built of timber); concrete is used significantly in the support structures for bells of the central tower, and the floors in the west towers.

[[Glastonbury Abbey]] provided stone for the bishop's formal seat, the [[cathedra]]. The high altar, the Jerusalem Altar, is made from stones quarried at [[Solomon's Quarry]] near [[Jerusalem]], reputedly where the stones for [[Solomon's Temple]] were quarried. In the floor directly in front of that altar are set ten stones from the Chapel of Moses on [[Mount Sinai]], representing the Ten Commandments as a foundation for the Jerusalem Altar.

In contrast to the stone floors that dominate most of the cathedral, the crossing (at the intersection of the nave and transept) features an elevated, expandable wooden platform (also adorned with the  [[Jerusalem Cross]] to replicate the pattern of the marble floor beneath.) Notably, this space serves as the stage for orchestra and choir concerts on  [[United States Independence Day]]  and a place for state funerals, where the coffins rest on the [[Jerusalem Cross]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Magnificent Main Altar of Washington National Cathedral |url=https://www.traveldc.us.com/en-us/gallery/about-the-great-alter-of-the-cathedral/ | website=Travel D.C.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The High Altar |url=https://cathedral.org/visit-tour/points-of-interest/?id=14 | website=Washington National Cathedral.}}</ref>

There are many other works of art including over two hundred stained glass windows,<ref name="facts" /> the most familiar of which may be the Space Window, honoring mankind's [[Project Apollo|landing on the Moon]], which includes a fragment of [[lunar rock]] at its center;<ref name="facts" /> the rock was presented at the dedication service on July 21, 1974, the fifth anniversary of the [[Apollo 11]] mission.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 12, 2012 |title=The Space Window at the U.S. National Cathedral |url=http://www.space.com/17575-space-window-national-cathedral-pictures.html |access-date=September 16, 2012 |website=Space.com}}</ref> Extensive wrought iron adorns the building, much of it the work of [[Samuel Yellin]]. A substantial gate of forged iron and carbon steel by [[Albert Paley]] was installed on the north side of the crypt level in 2008. Intricate woodcarving, wall-sized murals and mosaics, and monumental cast bronze gates can also be found. Most of the interior decorative elements have Christian symbolism, in reference to the church's Episcopal roots, but the cathedral is filled with memorials to persons or events of national significance: statues of [[George Washington|Washington]] and [[Abraham Lincoln|Lincoln]], state seals embedded in the marble floor of the [[narthex]], state flags that hang along the nave, stained glass commemorating events like the [[Corps of Discovery|Lewis and Clark expedition]] and the raising of the [[Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima|American flag at Iwo Jima]].

The cathedral was built with several intentional "flaws" in keeping with an apocryphal medieval custom that sought to illustrate that only God can be perfect.{{dubious|date=December 2012}} Artistically speaking, these flaws (which often come in the form of intentional asymmetries) draw the observer's focus to the [[sacred geometry]] as well as compensate for visual distortions, a practice that has been used since the [[Egyptian pyramids|Pyramids]] and the [[Parthenon]].{{citation needed|date=March 2016}} The architects designed the crypt chapels in Norman, Romanesque, and Transitional styles predating the Gothic, as though the cathedral had been built as a successor to earlier churches, a common occurrence in European cathedrals.{{citation needed|date=December 2012}}

Numerous [[Grotesque (architecture)|grotesques]] and [[gargoyle]]s adorn the exterior, most of them designed by the carvers; one of the more famous of these is a caricature of then-master carver [[Roger Morigi]] on the north exterior of the nave. There were also two competitions held for the public to provide designs to supplement those of the carvers. The second of these produced the famous [[Darth Vader grotesque]] which is high on the northwest tower, sculpted by [[Jay Hall Carpenter]] and carved by Patrick J. Plunkett.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cathedral.org/what-to-see/exterior/vader/ |title=Darth Vader 'Gargoyle' |website=Washington National Cathedral}}</ref>

The west facade follows an iconographic program of Creation rather than that of the [[Last Judgement]] as was traditional in medieval churches. All of the sculptural work was designed by [[Frederick Hart (sculptor)|Frederick Hart]] and features tympanum carvings of the creation of the Sun and Moon over the outer doors and the creation of man over the center. Hart also sculpted the three statues of Adam and Saints Peter and Paul. The west doors are cast bronze rather than wrought iron. The west rose window, often used as a trademark of the cathedral, was designed by Rowan LeCompte and is an abstract depiction of the creation of light. LeCompte, who also designed the nave's clerestory windows and the mosaics in the Resurrection Chapel, chose a nonrepresentational design because he feared that a figural window could fail to be seen adequately from the great distance to the nave.

Located in the south narthex, the Churchill Porch serves as a permanent memorial to [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|British Prime Minister]] [[Winston Churchill|Sir Winston Churchill]], dedicated to his leadership during [[World War II]] and his advocacy for [[UK-US relations in World War II|Transatlantic solidarity]]. The Porch was dedicated on September 30, 1974.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhM22FAf7OI |title=National Cathedral Tour: Churchill Porch |author= |date=2013-01-01 |publisher=YouTube |accessdate=2025-09-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Ford Alters Plans, Drops Trip to West |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/09/29/archives/ford-alters-plans-drops-trip-to-west.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=1974-09-29 |accessdate=2025-09-11}}</ref> A triple-lancet stained glass window was commissioned for the porch from English artist [[John Piper (artist)|John Piper]], which was realized with his regular collaborator, glassmaker [[Patrick Reyntiens]]. It depicts the [[Tree of life (biblical)|Tree of Life]] in yellow on a deep blue background. The window is titled ''Land is Bright'', a quote taken from a wartime speech made by Churchill, itself drawing on [[Arthur Hugh Clough]]'s 1855 poem ''[[Say Not the Struggle Naught Availeth]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Osborne |first=June |date=1997 |title=John Piper and Stained Glass |location=United Kingdom |publisher=Sutton Publishers Limited |isbn=0-7509-1088-7}}</ref><ref name="auto39">{{cite web|url=https://cathedral.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/BLUE-CHRISTMAS-SERVICE.2021.pdf|title=Blue Christmas Service 2021|website=Washington National Cathedral|accessdate=3 January 2025}}</ref></p>

===Canterbury Pulpit===
[[File:Magna Carta panel - Canterbury Pulpit - Washington National Cathedral - Washington DC - 2012.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Detail from the Canterbury Pulpit's Magna Carta panel]]
The Cathedral's "Canterbury Pulpit" was carved from stones from [[Canterbury Cathedral]], the spiritual center of [[Anglicanism]].<ref name=Meacham>[[Jon Meacham]], Foreword, in Samuel T. Lloyd III, ''Sermons from the National Cathedral: Soundings for the Journey''  (Rowman & Littlefield, 2013).</ref> It rises ten feet and thirteen steps high.<ref name=Meacham/> Made of [[Caen limestone]] believed to have originated with [[William the Conqueror]],<ref name=Dias>Elizabeth Dias, [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/22/us/trump-bishop-plea.html The Bishop Who Pleaded With Trump: 'Was Anyone Going to Say Anything?'], ''New York Times'' (January 22, 2025).</ref> the pulpit was sculpted under the direction of [[W. D. Caröe]].<ref name=1944View>''A View Book of Washington Cathedral'' (National Cathedral Association, 1944), p. 86</ref> The central panel depicts [[John, King of England|King John]]'s signing of [[Magna Carta]] in 1215 as [[Stephen Langton]], [[archbishop of Canterbury]], looks on.<ref name=Dias/><ref name=1944View/> The side panels depict figures in the history of the English Church: [[Venerable Bede]] and [[William Tyndale]].<ref>[https://cathedral.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/HE20180513.pdf The Holy Eucharist: The Seventh Sunday of Easter: The Sunday after Ascension Day and Anglican Communion Sunday], Washington National Cathedral (March 13, 2018).</ref> [[Jon Meacham]] wrote in 2013 of the pulpit, "it is from here, from this rock, that preachers are given the peculiar opportunity to address not only those in the pews but those in power."<ref name=Meacham/> It was from this pulpit that [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] delivered his final Sunday sermon on March 31, 1968, four days before [[Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.|his assassination]].<ref>{{Cite speech |last=King |first=Martin Luther Jr. |date=March 31, 1968 |access-date=June 14, 2011 |via=mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu |title=Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution |url=http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/documentsentry/doc_remaining_awake_through_a_great_revolution/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110603032638/http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/documentsentry/doc_remaining_awake_through_a_great_revolution |archive-date=June 3, 2011}}</ref>

===Architects===
[[File:Washington National Cathedral ironwork.jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.5|Detail of cast bronze gate]]
The cathedral's master plan was designed by [[George Frederick Bodley]] (founder of [[Watts & Co.]]), a highly regarded British Gothic Revival architect of the late-19th and early-20th centuries, and was influenced by Canterbury. Landscape architect [[Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.]] contributed a landscaping plan for the cathedral close and [[Nellie B. Allen]] designed a knot garden for the Bishop's Garden. After Bodley died in 1907, his partner [[Henry Vaughan (Architect)|Henry Vaughan]] revised the original design, but work stopped during [[World War I]] and Vaughan died in 1917.

When work resumed after [[World War I|the war]], the chapter hired Boston architecture firm Frohman, Robb and Little to execute the building. [[Philip Hubert Frohman]], who had designed his first fully functional home at age&nbsp;14 and received his architectural degree at age&nbsp;16, and his partners worked to perfect Bodley's vision, adding the carillon section of the central tower, enlarging the west [[façade]], and making numerous smaller changes. [[Ralph Adams Cram]] was hired to supervise Frohman, because of his experience with the [[Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York|Cathedral of St.&nbsp;John the Divine]] in [[New York City]], but Cram insisted on so many major changes to the original design that Frohman convinced the cathedral chapter to fire him. By Frohman's death in 1972, the final plans had been completed and the building was finished accordingly.

===Images of architectural details===
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Donation thanks engraving The Washington National Cathedral.jpg|Donation Thanks Engraving
File:Narthex vaulting in Washington National Cathedral.jpg|Vaulting in northwest cloister
File:Pilgrim Observation Gallery Washington National Cathedral.jpg|Pilgrim Observation Gallery
File:Buttresses The Washington National Cathedral.jpg|[[Flying buttress]]es
File:The Washington National Cathedral at Sunset.JPG|Side view of The Washington National Cathedral, with earthquake construction
File:Ohio placard in entrance hall of the Washington National Cathedral.JPG|There is a [[placard]] for every state from the United States
File:Lee lawrie washington.jpg|Statue of [[George Washington]] (by [[Lee Lawrie]])
File:SpaceWindow.jpg|The Space Window
File:GITMO Washington National Cathedral.jpg|GITMO stone inscribed in 1964 as a gift to the cathedral from those at [[Guantanamo Bay Naval Base]]
File:Mount Sinai stone at The Washington National Cathedral.jpg|Mount Sinai stone
File:Womens Stone Washington National Cathedral.jpg|Women's porch
File:Tympanum Washington National Cathedral.jpg|South transept [[Tympanum (architecture)|tympanum]]
File:South portal sculpture Washington National Cathedral.jpg|Detail of figures flanking south doors
File:Painting of Jesus' burial at Washington National Cathedral.JPG|Encaustic mural of the burial of Jesus in the Chapel of St. [[Joseph of Arimathea]]
File:Robert E Lee Stain Glass.JPG|Stained glass window depicting major events of the life of Confederate General [[Robert E. Lee]]; removed in 2017
File:Stonewall Jackson Stain Glass.JPG|Stained glass window depicting the life of [[Stonewall Jackson]]; removed in 2017
File:Charles Warren Stain Glass.JPG|Stained glass depicting Adam & Eve and Moses, dedicated to [[Charles Warren (U.S. author)|Charles Warren]]
File:Stain Glass Andrew Mellon.JPG|Stained glass dedicated to [[Andrew Carnegie]]
File:Darth vader grotesque.jpg|[[Darth Vader grotesque]]
File:Washington National Cathedral crucifix above main altar.JPG|The [[rood]] in the chancel arch, high above the rood screen ending the [[nave]]
File:Land is Bright window, John Piper, Washington National Cathedral.jpg|Land is Bright window by [[John Piper (artist)|John Piper]] in the Churchill Porch
</gallery>

== Grounds including the Bishop's Garden ==
On the Cathedral grounds, the Bishop’s Garden, originally designed as a private garden by the notable landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. has long been a public one, thanks to the efforts of landscape designer Florence Bratenahl, who was also the wife of the first dean of the Cathedral.<ref name=":2" /> A Norman stone arch serves as the north entrance. Stone paths wend past St. Catherine's pool, a gazebo, sculptures, and plants including boxwood, historic herbs, and roses. This three-acre garden has been called “among the city’s most peaceful and pleasant places.” <ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Protopappas |first=John |last2=Meany |first2=Judith |date=2012 |title=Washington on Foot: 24 Walking Tours and Maps of Washington |url=https://cathedral.org/visit-tour/gardens-grounds/ |access-date=2025-07-20 |website=Washington National Cathedral |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Seeber |first=Barbara H. |title=A City of Gardens: Glorious Public Gardens in and around the Nation’s Capital |publisher=Capital Books, Inc. |year=2004 |location=Washington, DC |pages=165-166 |language=EN}}</ref>

== Leadership and funding ==
[[File:National Cathedral Sanctuary Panorama.jpg|thumb|East End of the cathedral, with the ''Ter Sanctus'' [[reredos]], featuring 110 carved figures surrounding the central figure of [[Jesus]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cathedral.org/what-to-see/interior/high-altar-3/ |title=High Altar |website=Washington National Cathedral}}</ref>|upright=1.2]]
[[John T. Walker (bishop)|The]] cathedral is both the [[Cathedra|episcopal seat]] of the Bishop of Washington (currently [[Mariann Edgar Budde]]) and the [[primate (bishop)|primatial seat]] of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church (currently [[Sean Rowe]]). Budde was elected by the Episcopal Diocese of Washington in June 2011, to replace Bishop [[John Bryson Chane]]; upon her confirmation in November 2011 she became the ninth bishop of the diocese and the first woman to fill the role. [[John T. Walker (bishop)|John Walker]], the sixth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, was its first African American bishop.

The [[National Cathedral Association]] (NCA) began in 1899 to help raise funds to build the Cathedral. Across the United States, it has more than 14,000 members, more than 88 percent of whom live outside the Washington area, and who are divided into committees by [[U.S. state|state]]. Supporters who give at least $60 per year are automatically enrolled in the NCA, which includes free admission to the Cathedral and other benefits.<ref>{{Cite web |title=National Cathedral Association (NCA) |url=https://cathedral.org/support/national-cathedral-association-nca/ |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=Washington National Cathedral |language=en}}</ref>

The budget, $27&nbsp;million in 2008, was trimmed to $13&nbsp;million in 2010. Staff was reduced from 170 to 70. There was an endowment of $50&nbsp;million.<ref name="gowen" /> The current 2024-2025 budget has grown back to approximately $25 million (approximately $17 million in inflation-adjusted 2008 dollars).

===Cathedral leadership===

[[Gary R. Hall]] was chosen to be the 10th dean of Washington National Cathedral in July 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 31, 2012 |title=Gary R. Hall Named Dean of Washington National Cathedral |url=https://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/article/gary-r-hall-named-dean-washington-national-cathedral |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180423170615/https://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/article/gary-r-hall-named-dean-washington-national-cathedral |archive-date=April 23, 2018 |access-date=April 23, 2018 |website=The Episcopal Church}}</ref> Hall retired as dean on Dec. 31, 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Letter from Dean Gary Hall on his Retirement |url=https://cathedral.org/about/news-media/letter-from-dean-gary-hall-on-his-retirement/ |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=Washington National Cathedral |language=en}}</ref>

In May 2016, [[Randolph Marshall Hollerith]] was named as the next [[Dean (Christianity)|dean]] of the cathedral.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hollerith |first=Randy |date=May 23, 2016 |title=Hollerith Named Next Dean of National Cathedral |url=http://www.doers.org/randy-hollerith-called-next-dean-national-cathedral/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806134738/http://www.doers.org/randy-hollerith-called-next-dean-national-cathedral/ |archive-date=August 6, 2016 |access-date=May 23, 2016 |website=t St. James's Episcopal Church}}</ref><ref name="rich_St.J">{{cite web |url=http://www.richmond.com/news/local/article_769d705c-3ff7-5c7d-92d2-eec545ca42eb.html |title=St. James's Episcopal Church rector named dean of Washington National Cathedral |last=Rockett |first=Ali |date=May 23, 2016 |website=Richmond Times-Dispatch |access-date=May 23, 2016}}</ref> Hollerith came to the National Cathedral from [[St. James Episcopal Church (Richmond, Virginia)|St. James Episcopal Church]] in [[Richmond, Virginia]], where he was rector from 2000 to 2016.

'''Former Cathedral deans'''
* [[Alfred Harding (bishop)|Alfred Harding]] (''de facto''; 1909–1916)
* [[George C. F. Bratenahl]] (1916–1936)
* [[Noble C. Powell]] (1937–1941)
* [[ZeBarney Thorne Phillips|ZeBarney T. Phillips]] (1941–1942)
* [[John W. Suter]] (1944–1950)
* [[Francis B. Sayre Jr.]] (1951–1978)
* [[John T. Walker (bishop)|John T. Walker]] (1978–1989; simultaneously bishop)
* [[Nathan D. Baxter]] (1991–2003)
* [[Samuel T. Lloyd III]] (2005–2011)
* [[Gary R. Hall]] (2012–2015)
* [[Randolph Marshall Hollerith]] (2016–present)

'''Cathedral clergy'''
* '''Provost:''' The Rev. Canon Jan Naylor Cope
* '''Canon Vicar:''' The Rev. Canon Dana Colley Corsello
* '''Canon for Worship:''' The Rev. Canon Rosemarie Logan Duncan
* '''Canon Missioner & Minister of Equity and Inclusion:''' The Rev. Canon Leonard Hamlin, Sr.
* '''Canon Theologian:''' The Rev. Canon Kelly Brown Douglas
* '''Priest Associate for Worship:''' The Rev. Patrick L. Keyser
* '''Priest Associate for Congregation:''' The Rev. Spencer W. Brown
* '''Pastor for Digital Ministry:''' The Rev. Jo Nygard Owens
* '''Canon Historian''': [[Jon Meacham]] (non-clergy)
'''Executive Leadership'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=People Archive |url=https://cathedral.org/about/leadership/ |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=Washington National Cathedral |language=en}}</ref>
* '''Chief of Staff and Chief Operating Officer''': Lauralyn Lee
* '''Chief Financial and Administrative Officer''': Maureen McGinniss
* '''Chief Development Officer''': Vanessa B. Andrews
* '''Chief Public Affairs Officer''': Kevin Eckstrom

==Worship==
[[File:The Washington National Catheral.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1|The [[Flags of the United States states|flags of all the states of the US]] with the current liturgical banners hung on the pillars]]

The worship department is, like the cathedral itself, rooted in the doctrine and practice of the Episcopal Church, and based in the ''[[Book of Common Prayer (1979)|Book of Common Prayer]]''. Weekday services of Morning Prayer are offered by Cathedral clergy online. From September through May, the cathedral choirs sing [[Evening Prayer (Anglican)|Evensong]] Sunday through Thursday. Two services of the Eucharist are held on Sundays, along with Choral Evensong.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cathedral.org/worship/weekly-services/ |title=Worship at the Cathedral: Services Schedule |website=Washington National Cathedral |access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref> The Cathedral's current Canon for Worship is the Rev. Canon Rosemarie Logan Duncan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Rev. Canon Rosemarie Logan Duncan |url=https://cathedral.org/about/leadership/rosemarie-logan-duncan/ |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=Washington National Cathedral |language=en}}</ref>

The cathedral also has been a temporary home to several congregations, including a [[Judaism|Jewish]] [[synagogue]] and an [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] community. It has also been the site for several [[Ecumenism|ecumenical]] and interfaith services. In October 2005, at the cathedral, the Rev. [[Nancy Wilson (religious leader)|Nancy Wilson]] was consecrated and installed as moderator (denominational executive) of the [[Metropolitan Community Church]], by its founding moderator, the Rev. [[Troy Perry]].

Each Christmas, the cathedral holds special services, which are [[Broadcasting|broadcast]] to the world. The Christmas service at the cathedral was broadcast to the nation on television from 1953 until 2010 and is still webcast live from the cathedral's homepage and its YouTube channel.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cathedral stopped offering their 9am Contemporary Eucharist, thus only offering the 8am Holy Eucharist (said) and the 11:15 Principal Holy Eucharist. The 11:15 service typically features a blended worship style with music offered by the Cathedral Choir and Cathedral Contemporary Ensemble.

==Music==

'''Cathedral Music Department'''
* '''Director of Music:''' ''to be appointed Winter/Spring 2026''
* '''Associate Director of Music & Chorister Program Manager:''' Julie DeBoer (2022-)
* '''Associate Director of Music for Contemporary Worship:''' Michele Fowlin (2022-)
* '''Organist & Associate Director of Music:''' Edward Hewes (2025-)
* '''Assistant Organist:''' Mina-Marie Jelinek (2025-)
* '''Organ Scholar:''' Dr. Ariana Corbin (2024-)
* '''Carillonneur:''' Dr. Edward Nassor (1990-)

On June 17, 2025, it was announced that Dr. Thomas Sheehan will be leaving Washington National Cathedral to take up the position as Director of Music at Christ Church Cathedral in Montreal, Quebec, where he succeeds Dr. Nicholas Cappazoli.

The First Director of Music was Edgar Priest (1910-1935), he was followed by Robert George Barrow (1935-1939), [[Paul Callaway]] (1939-1977), [[Richard Wayne Dirksen]] (1977-1988), [[Douglas Major]] (1988-2002), and [[Michael McCarthy (choirmaster)|Michael McCarthy]] (2003-2024).<ref>{{cite thesis |last=Yang |first=Kitty |date=1998 |title=A Musical History of the Washington National Cathedral (1893-1998) |degree=Peabody Conservatory of Music, Baltimore MD, DMA}}, p.iv-v.</ref>
Organists and Choirmasters include Bruce Neswick, [[James Litton]], Erik Wm. Suter, [[Scott Dettra]], Christopher (Kit) Jacobson, Jeremy Filsell, Christopher Betts, The Rev. Benjamin Pearce Straley, Dr. Thomas Sheehan, George Fergus, Rebecca Ehren, Ariana Corbin, and Edward Hewes. The present Artist in Residence is Stanley J. Thurston. In September 2024, Michael McCarthy stepped down as Canon for Music and Director of Institutional Planning after nearly 21 years.

=== Choirs ===
The Washington National Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys, founded in 1909, is one of very few cathedral choirs of men and boys in the United States with an affiliated school, in the English choir tradition. The eighteen to twenty-two boys singing treble are of ages 8 to 14 and attend [[St. Albans School (Washington, D.C.)|St. Albans School]], the Cathedral school for boys, on vocal scholarships.

In 1997, the Cathedral Choir of Men and Girls was formed by Bruce Neswick, using the same men as the choir of the men and boys. The Choir consists of middle and high school girls attending the [[National Cathedral School]] on vocal scholarships. The two choirs currently share service duties and occasionally collaborate.

[[File:The Great Organ of WNC.jpg|thumb|The console of the Great Organ at Washington National Cathedral in 2010. It includes four manuals: the Choir, Great, Swell, and Solo. It is located in the Great Choir.|upright=1.2]]
Both choirs have recorded several [[Compact disc|CDs]], including a [[Christmas]] [[album]]; a U.S. premiere recording of [[Ståle Kleiberg]]'s ''Requiem for the Victims of [[Nazi Germany|Nazi]] Persecution'' in 2004; and a [[patriotism|patriotic]] album, ''America the Beautiful'' in 2005.

The choirs rehearse separately every weekday morning in a graded class incorporated into their school schedule. The choristers sing [[Evening Prayer (Anglican)|Evensong]] five days a week (the Boys Choir on Tuesdays and Thursdays and the Girls Choir on Mondays and Wednesdays). The choirs alternate Sunday worship duties, singing both morning [[Eucharist]] and afternoon Evensong when they are on call. The choirs also sing for numerous state and national events. The choirs are featured annually on ''Christmas at Washington National Cathedral'', broadcast nationally on Christmas Day.

As of Fall 2024, the chorister schedule has adapted as a result of post-COVID program challenges. The Choristers sing one Sunday morning monthly (boys and girls together), alternate Sunday Evensong services weekly, and the Girls Cathedral Choir sings Evensong on Wednesdays, and the Boys Cathedral Choir sings Evensong on Thursdays. All other services are sung by the (Professional) Cathedral Choir.

The resident symphonic chorus of Washington National Cathedral is the [[Cathedral Choral Society]].

=== The Great Organ ===
The Great [[pipe organ|Organ]] was installed by the [[Ernest M. Skinner]] & Son Organ Company in 1938. The original instrument consisted of approximately 8,400&nbsp;pipes. The instrument was enlarged by the [[Aeolian-Skinner]] Organ Company in 1963 and again by a team of former Aeolian-Skinner employees between 1973 and 1976, during which time more than half of the original instrument was removed. Further mechanical work and minor tonal additions were carried out in the 1980s and 1990s.<ref name=":0" /> The present instrument consists of 189&nbsp;ranks and 10,647&nbsp;pipes.

==== Renovation ====
Although the instrument was mechanically restored in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the instrument's condition gradually deteriorated due to its constant use and damage from the 2011 earthquake. This meant that by 2023 a third of the instrument was unplayable, including the entire Solo division. Furthermore, it was determined that the mechanical layout of the organ's pipework created a confusing sonic effect for listeners, and that the instrument's focus on 1970s-era neoclassical principles had rendered it tonally obsolete.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Everything (and more) You Wanted to Know About the Cathedral Organ |url=https://cathedral.org/blog/everything-and-more-you-wanted-to-know-about-the-cathedral-organ/ |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=Washington National Cathedral |language=en}}</ref> The organ was to be replaced with a new instrument built by [[Dobson Pipe Organ Builders]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Midgette |first=Anne  |date=June 17, 2008 |title=Fans Pipe Up About Replacing Venerable Cathedral Organ |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/16/AR2008061602834.html |access-date=December 16, 2018}}</ref> but this plan was scrapped in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Organ Project |url=http://www.nationalcathedral.org:80/arts/organProject.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091130011146/http://www.nationalcathedral.org/arts/organProject.shtml |archive-date=November 30, 2009 |access-date=December 16, 2018 |website=Washington National Cathedral}}</ref>

As of 2023, plans are being developed for a renovation of the instrument. The organ will be renovated by Foley-Baker Inc. of Tolland, CT over a span of 4 years from 2024 to 2028 at the cost of $14 million, and is expected to reduce the size of the organ to 172 ranks and 9,787 pipes.<ref name=":0" />It will include a complete removal of the instrument, and the addition of a suitable digital organ by the Walker Technical Company for the duration of the project. This renovation will include the addition of a new division within the Nave to improve the clarity of the organ to listeners within the Nave, a new mechanical chassis for the instrument, and the removal of some of the least successful pipes from the 1970s renovation. Approximately 50 ranks of pipes from the original 1938 instrument remain, and as many of these ranks will be reused as possible, as well as some of the pipes from the 1970s renovation. The rest of the instrument will consist of new pipework which will seamlessly integrate with what remains from the previous instrument.<ref name=":0" />

On December 31, 2023, the temporary Walker organ was unveiled during worship services. The original pipe organ was removed over the course of several weeks and shipped to Foley-Baker for repairs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/06/26/national-cathedral-pipe-organ-renovation-project/|title=National Cathedral’s dying pipe organ is getting a $14.5 million renovation|author-last1=Brown|author-first1=Jordan D. |work=The Washington Post|date=26 June 2024}}</ref>

=== Bells ===
The cathedral is unique in North America in having both a [[carillon]] and a set of [[change ringing]] bells.

The ring of 10 bells (tenor {{long ton||32|0|4|disp=or}} in D) are hung in the English style for [[full circle ringing]]. All ten were cast in 1962 by Mears & Stainbank (now known as The [[Whitechapel Bell Foundry]]) of London, England.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dove.cccbr.org.uk/detail.php?searchString=washington&numPerPage=10&Submit=Go&searchAmount=%3D&searchMetric=cwt&sortBy=Place&sortDir=Asc&DoveID=WASHINGTDC |title=Washington, Cath Ch of S Peter & S Paul |website=Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers |access-date=November 29, 2012}}</ref>

The carillon has 53 bells ranging from {{convert|17|lb}} to {{convert|24000|lb}} and was manufactured by [[John Taylor & Co]] of Loughborough, England in 1963. The bells are hung ''dead'', meaning rigidly fixed, and are struck on the inside by hammers activated from the keyboard.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cathedral.org/what-to-see/exterior/carillon/ |title=Carillon |website=Washington National Cathedral |access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref>

=== Contemporary music ===
In 2016, under the leadership of then-Associate for Worship and Music, the Rev. Dr. Andrew K. Barnett, the Cathedral transformed its 9:00am Sunday Eucharist into a [[Book of Alternative Services|BAS]] Communion Service with both contemporary language and music. This meant regular collaborations with Barnett's Theodicy Jazz Collective. Following Barnett's departure in 2019 (to [[All Saints' Episcopal Church (Atlanta)|All Saints, Atlanta]]), GRAMMY-Award nominee Daryl L.A. Hunt joined the Cathedral as Associate Director of Music for Contemporary Worship where he expanded the Cathedral Band and focused the Cathedral's contemporary music offerings towards African American spirituals and contemporary ensemble music. Since March 2020, the Cathedral's Principal Sunday Eucharist at 11:15am has included a blend of contemporary and traditional music with contributions from Michele Fowlin, Associate Director of Music for Contemporary Worship.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Michele Fowlin |url=https://cathedral.org/about/leadership/michele-fowlin/ |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=Washington National Cathedral |language=en}}</ref>

== Burials ==
{{More citations needed section|date=April 2018}}
Several notable American citizens are buried in Washington National Cathedral and its [[columbarium]]:<ref>{{Cite book|title=Washington National Cathedral Guidebook|last=Victoria|first=Dawson|date=2008|publisher=Washington National Cathedral|others=Vochinsky, Eric., Washington National Cathedral (Washington, D.C.)|isbn=9780615236124|location=Washington, D.C.|oclc=880900586}}</ref>
[[File:Woodrow Wilson Tomb.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Woodrow Wilson]]'s Tomb, 2006]]
* [[Larz Anderson]] (ashes), diplomat, art collector.  His wife [[Isabel Weld Perkins]] is entombed with him in the cathedral's St. Mary Chapel.
* [[Joseph E. Davies]] (ashes), diplomat, presidential adviser. He gave a stained-glass window in the cathedral in honor of his mother, [[Rachel Davies (Rahel o Fôn)]]
* [[George Dewey]], [[United States Navy]] admiral
* [[Philip H. Frohman]] (ashes), cathedral architect, following the death of [[George Frederick Bodley|Bodley]]
* [[George A. Garrett]], diplomat, first [[United States Ambassador to Ireland]]
* [[Julia Dent Cantacuzène Spiransky-Grant]], granddaughter of President [[Ulysses S. Grant]]
* [[Cordell Hull]], [[United States Secretary of State]], [[Nobel Peace Prize|Nobel Peace Laureate]]
* [[Helen Keller]] (ashes), author, lecturer, advocate for the blind and deaf
* [[Frank B. Kellogg]], [[U.S. Secretary of State]], [[Nobel Peace Prize|Nobel Peace Laureate]], buried at the Chapel of St. Joseph of Arimathea<ref name="FBKbioguide">{{cite web|title=Kellogg, Frank Billings – Biographical Information|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=K000065|website=bioguide.congress.gov|publisher=[[Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]]|access-date=May 13, 2017}}</ref>
* [[John Mott|John Raleigh Mott]], leader of the YMCA and World Christian Student Federation, [[Nobel Peace Prize|Nobel Peace Laureate]]
* [[Mike Monroney|A.S. Mike Monroney]] (ashes), U.S. representative, senator
* [[Joe Allbritton]], banker, publisher and philanthropist
* [[Norman Prince]], fighter pilot, member of the [[Lafayette Escadrille]] flying corps
* [[Matthew Shepard]] (ashes), notable LGBT figure, victim of a hate crime<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fortin |first=Jacey |date=October 11, 2018 |title=Matthew Shepard Will Be Interred at the Washington National Cathedral, 20 Years After His Death |language=en |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/11/us/matthew-shepard-ashes-cathedral.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=December 3, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Hauser |first=Christine |date=October 26, 2018 |title=Matthew Shepard Laid to Rest at National Cathedral Decades After His Murder |language=en |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/26/us/matthew-shepard-burial-national-cathedral.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=December 3, 2022}}</ref>
* [[John Wesley Snyder (US Cabinet Secretary)|John Wesley Snyder]], Secretary of the Treasury in the [[Truman administration]]
* [[Leo Sowerby]] (ashes), composer, church musician
* [[Anne Sullivan]] (ashes), tutor and companion to Helen Keller, first woman interred here
* [[Stuart Symington]], [[United States Senate|U.S. senator]], presidential candidate
* [[Henry Vaughan (architect)|Henry Vaughan]], architect, associate of [[George Frederick Bodley|Bodley]]
* [[Thomas C. Wasson]], diplomat and consul general for the United States in Jerusalem
* [[Isabel Weld Perkins]] (ashes), author, wife of [[Larz Anderson]]
* [[Edith Wilson]], second wife of Woodrow Wilson and [[First Lady of the United States]]
* [[Woodrow Wilson]], 28th [[president of the United States]]. Wilson's tomb includes variants on the [[seal of the president of the United States]] and the [[coat of arms]] of [[Princeton University]] and the [[New Jersey|State of New Jersey]]. Wilson is the only American president buried in the District of Columbia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cathedral Age Spring/Summer 2024 Page 12 |url=https://mydigimag.rrd.com/publication/?m=46623&i=824264&p=14&ver=html5 |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=mydigimag.rrd.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

The following Episcopal clergy are buried at the cathedral:
* [[Thomas John Claggett]] († 1816), 1st bishop of the [[Episcopal Diocese of Maryland]]
* [[William Creighton (bishop)|William F. Creighton]] († 1987), 5th bishop of the  [[Episcopal Diocese of Washington]]
* [[Angus Dun]] († 1971, ashes), 4th [[Episcopal Diocese of Washington|bishop of Washington]]
* [[James E. Freeman]] († 1943), 3th bishop of Washington
* [[Ronald H. Haines]] († 2008), 7th bishop of Washington
* [[Alfred Harding (bishop)|Alfred Harding]] († 1923), 2nd bishop of Washington
* [[Henry Y. Satterlee]] († 1908), 1st bishop of Washington
* [[Francis Bowes Sayre Jr.]] (ashes), dean of the cathedral and grandson of President [[Woodrow Wilson]]
* [[John T. Walker (bishop)|John T. Walker]] († 1989), 6th bishop of Washington

==Schools==
There are three private [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal]] schools on the grounds of Washington National Cathedral.
* [[Beauvoir School]], a [[mixed-sex education|co-ed]] school serving preschool through 3rd grade
* [[St. Albans School (Washington, D.C.)|St. Albans School]], an [[Single-sex education|all-boys]] school serving grades [[Fourth grade|four]] through [[Twelfth grade|twelve]]
* [[National Cathedral School]], an all-girls school serving grades four through twelve

==In popular culture==
The cathedral played a major role in ''[[The West Wing]]'' season 2 finale "[[Two Cathedrals]]." In a scene following the funeral of a major character, President Bartlet engages in a one-sided argument with God which seamlessly blends English and Latin dialogue.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Saraiya |first=Sonia |date=May 21, 2014 |title=10 Episodes that Show the West Wing Was Drama First, Politics Second |url=https://www.avclub.com/10-episodes-that-show-the-west-wing-was-drama-first-po-1798268764 |access-date=December 3, 2022 |website=The A.V. Club |language=en}}</ref> The cathedral also makes appearances in the following movies: ''[[the Pelican Brief (film)|The Pelican Brief]]'' (1993), ''Lady-like'' (2017), and the short documentary ''[[The Stone Carvers (film)|The Stone Carvers]]'' (1984), which describes the construction of the cathedral.

==See also==
* [[List of the Episcopal cathedrals of the United States]]
* [[List of cathedrals in the United States]]
* [[List of burial places of presidents and vice presidents of the United States]]
* [[All Hallows Guild Carousel]]
* [[Washington National Cathedral Police]]
* [[Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception]]
* [[Church Center for the United Nations]]
* [[Architecture of Washington, D.C.]]
* Philadelphia Eleven, first Episcopal women priests

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Marjorie Hunt, ''The Stone Carvers: Master Craftsmen of Washington National Cathedral'' (Smithsonian, 1999).
* David Hein, ''Noble Powell and the Episcopal Establishment in the Twentieth Century''. Foreword by Peter W. Williams. Urbana: Univ. of Illinois Press, 2001; Eugene, Ore.: Wipf & Stock, 2007. Includes a chapter on Powell when he was dean of WNC and warden of the College of Preachers.
* ''Step by Step and Stone by Stone: The History of the Washington National Cathedral'' (WNC, 1990).
* ''A Guide to the Washington Cathedral'' (National Cathedral Association, 1945).
* Peter W. Williams, ''Houses of God: Region, Religion, and Architecture in the United States'' (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1997).
* ''Cathedral Age'' (magazine).

==External links==
{{Commons category|Washington National Cathedral}}
* {{osmway-inline|67829238}}
* {{Official website}}
* [http://www.edow.org/ Episcopal Diocese of Washington]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060810084518/http://www.jayhallcarpenter.com/washington-cathedral.htm ''Jay Hall Carpenter, gargoyle sculptor, 20 years at the cathedral'']
* [http://www.cathedral.org/pdfs/darth.pdf ''What does Darth Vader have to do with the Cathedral?'']
* [https://cathedral.org/architecture/special-features/#exterior-features Outdoor sculptures at the Washington National Cathedral]
* [http://watch.weta.org/video/1397268041/ Washington National Cathedral] Documentary produced by [[WETA-TV]]
* [http://ghostsofdc.org/2012/08/23/national-cathedral-trivia/ Three Things That Happened at the Nationals Cathedral]{{snd}}blog post by Ghosts of DC
* [https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/washington-national-cathedral Washington National Cathedral on Google Arts & Culture]

{{Washington DC landmarks}}
{{Washington Theological Consortium}}
{{Woodrow Wilson}}
{{National churches in Washington, D.C.}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Washington National Cathedral| ]]
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[[Category:Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Woodrow Wilson]]
[[Category:Churches dedicated to the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul|Washington]]