As Jimmy Carter’s funeral service unfolds at Washington National Cathedral this morning, it marks the fifth time these walls will witness the farewell of an American president. The 99-year-old Carter, who chose to receive hospice care at his home in Plains, Georgia last year, passed away on December 29th, 2024. Following a service in Atlanta, this final Washington tribute will gather dignitaries and citizens to honor America’s longest-lived president.
The casket of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter arrives inside Washington National Cathedral for his state funeral.
The National Cathedral, which towers over Washington from the city’s highest point, has long served as America’s unofficial sanctuary for moments that matter. The service will take place in the same space where Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, and George H.W. Bush were memorialized, though with a simpler dignity that characterized Carter’s own presidency. While the medieval silhouette might suggest European roots, this cathedral tells a distinctly American story,
What’s the History?
Like Rome, the National Cathedral wasn’t built in a day—or even a decade. In fact, it was built little-by-little over 83 years.
The vision began with Pierre L’Enfant’s ambitious 1791 master plan for the nation’s capital, which envisioned a «great church for national purposes.» While the idea simmered for nearly a century, it wasn’t until 1893 that Congress granted a charter for the cathedral’s construction. The real momentum began when Bishop Henry Yates Satterlee became Washington’s first Episcopal bishop in 1895 and made building the cathedral his life’s mission.
In 1898, Satterlee orchestrated the purchase of the perfect plot—57 acres on Mount Saint Alban, the highest point in Washington, D.C. The site’s elevation of 400 feet above sea level ensured the cathedral would be visible from nearly every corner of the city. After architects George Frederick Bodley and Henry Vaughan were selected to design the structure, the foundation stone was laid in 1907 with considerable fanfare, as President Theodore Roosevelt and Bishop Satterlee presided over the ceremony.
There are over 200 stained glassed windows in the National Cathedral.
Construction progressed in fits and starts through two world wars, the Great Depression, and numerous financial challenges. The cathedral’s first service was held in 1912 in the Bethlehem Chapel, even as work continued above. The nave was completed in 1976, the west towers in 1978, and the Gloria in Excelsis Tower in 1988. Finally, on September 29, 1990, exactly 83 years after the first stone was laid, President Bush placed the final stone in the presence of a crowd of more than 20,000 people.
Throughout its construction, the cathedral relied entirely on private donations—not a penny of government funding was used, despite its «national» designation. This grassroots support created a truly American story: from schoolchildren’s pennies to major philanthropists’ millions, the cathedral was built by the people, for the people.
An interior shot of the Washington National Cathedral.
What’s the Architectural Style?
The cathedral’s design is what architectural enthusiasts would call «14th-century English Gothic revival» – think Canterbury Cathedral meets American innovation. At 517-feet-long and 301-feet-tall, with a central tower soaring to 676 feet above sea level, it’s the second-largest cathedral in the United States.
An exterior view of the Washington National Cathedral.
The devil (or in this case, the divine) is in the details: 112 gargoyles and 288 angels keep watch over visitors, while 215 stained glass windows— including the famous «Space Window» containing an actual moon rock—filter sunlight into ethereal patterns. The cathedral’s limestone exterior, quarried in Indiana, has weathered to a warm, honey-colored patina over the decades. Inside, the vaulted ceilings soar 100 feet high, creating an acoustic environment that makes even whispered prayers sound celestial.
What Important Events Have Happened There?
State funerals for presidents Eisenhower, Reagan, Ford, and Bush have been held at the National Cathedral. The cathedral has also hosted memorial services for luminaries including Eleanor Roosevelt, astronaut Neil Armstrong, and Senator John McCain.
But it’s not all somber occasions—the cathedral has celebrated joyous moments too. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his last Sunday sermon here in 1968, just days before his assassination. The Dalai Lama has shared Buddhist teachings beneath its arches, and interfaith services following 9/11 brought thousands together in healing and hope.
The cathedral has weathered literal storms as well. In 2011, a 5.8-magnitude earthquake rattled the structure, causing $34 million in damage. Yet like the nation it serves, the cathedral proved resilient, reopening its doors after repairs to continue its mission as a spiritual crossroads for the American people.
Julia Cancilla is the engagement editor (and resident witch) at ELLE DECOR, where she manages the brand’s social media presence and covers trends, lifestyle, and culture in the design world. Her eye for emerging styles helps bring the latest in interior design to ELLE Decor’s audience across platforms. Julia built her background at Inked magazine, where she grew their social media audiences by two million, conducted interviews with A-list celebrities, and penned feature articles focusing on pop culture, design, and lifestyle. Over her five years of digital media experience, Julia has written about numerous topics, from fashion to astrology.
