National Cathedral
The Washington National Cathedral, designated by Congress as the nondenominational
National House of Prayer. It is the sixth largest cathedral in the world and second
largest in the United States.
In 1893, the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation of the District of Columbia was
granted a charter from Congress to establish the cathedral. The commanding site on Mount
Saint Alban was chosen.
Construction started in 1907 with a ceremonial address by President Theodore Roosevelt
and the laying of the cornerstone. Construction of the cathedral resumed after a
brief hiatus for World War I.
Funding for the National Cathedral has come entirely from private sources.
Maintenance and upkeep continue to rely entirely upon private support.
The cathedral was built with many intentional "flaws" in keeping with medieval
custom that sought to illustrate that only God can be perfect. Artistically
speaking, these flaws draw the observers focus to the sacred geometry as well
as compensating for visual distortions, a practice that has been used since the
Pyramids and the Parthenon. Architecturally, it is thought that if the main
aisle of the cathedral where it meets the cross section were not tilted slightly
off its axis, a person who looked straight down the aisle would have a slight
feeling of disorientation, like looking down railroad tracks.
For more information, see links below
Cathedral Home Page
Wikipedia
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