Our readers voted the National Cathedral as D.C.'s best building

The National Cathedral is the best building in Washington, according to a survey of Axios D.C. readers.

• The cathedral swept with 75% of the vote over the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Thanks to 1,150 readers for voting in the final round.

The path to victory: The cathedral got here with wins over an infamous pop-up, Union Station, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Fun facts:

• Built in the style of 14th-century English Gothic design, it’s the sixth-largest cathedral in the world.
• It has more than 200 stained glass windows.

• Pierre L’Enfant’s original design for Washington included a “great church for national purposes,” but construction didn’t begin until 1907.
• A grotesque of Darth Vader was added in 1986.

A 2011 earthquake caused $38 million in damages, and about $14 million of that work is left to go, cathedral spokesperson Kevin Eckstrom tells Axios.

• This summer a gargoyle that was decapitated by falling stone will be reattached, he said.
• The drawn-out repair project has involved replacing damaged stone, fixing wobbly pinnacles, and reinforcing the structure.
• Scaffolding remains on the central tower, with fixes still 3-5 years away.

Tickets for sightseeing are available here.