Apr 14, 2023 - Real Estate
Our readers voted the National Cathedral as D.C.'s best building
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
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.