Washington National Cathedral (officially the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul) was begun on this date in 1907 and completed on this same date in 1990. An Episcopal cathedral, it is the seat of both the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church and the bishop of the Washington Diocese. British architect George Frederick Bodley designed this enormous structure, but several others also helped bring it to completion over the 83 year span of its construction. Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., the designer of Central Park in Manhattan, created the cathedral close, or grounds. A complete article about the church may be found on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_National_Cathedral)The Cathedral was designated by Congress as the National House of Prayer. President Theodore Roosevelt gave a ceremonial speech on the occasion of the laying of its cornerstone, and the state funerals of four presidents have taken place there.
Despite its many connections to the political scene, however, the separation of church and state is very much in force at the National Cathedral. I discovered this, happily, during a visit to Washington in late 1995 that coincided with the shutdown of the federal government. Most of the museums were closed, but the National Cathedral, easily reached by public transportation, was open as always. A rewarding visit that I encourage other art tourists to make, especially if the museums are closed (heaven forbid) or the Mall becomes overwhelming.
