National Cathedral

I really expected to see horses in Washington, DC. I am not sure where exactly, but I figured there would be horse drawn carriages or something. Nope. The only live horses we saw were at Mount Vernon.

I did see several statues though, although none of them were that exciting. Surprisingly, the best non-living horses that we saw resided in the National Cathedral.

Washington National Cathedral

The National Cathedral, or more formerly known as Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, was begun in 1907 and completed in 1990. Although it took 83 years to complete, parts of it have been in use since the first chapel was completed in the early part of the 20th century.  

The cathedral is one tenth of a mile long and was built in the Gothic style. If you've been to Europe, you can imagine the cathedral's grandeur as it rivals many of Europe's finest churches. 

An upstairs corridor. The Gothic style is well known for providing lots of light with the use of windows.

One of the four main piers that support the cathedral's structure. This pier is more than 20 feet in diameter.

Several of the more than 100 grotesques and gargoyles. One of them, not pictured, is actually Darth Vader!

I had to look hard, but I finally found a very fine horse. If Darth Vader made an appearance, an equine had to as well!

Choir Pew

Same carving, reverse side.

This lovely carving was found in the choir pews. There were many others, including a dragon!

If you get the chance to visit this lovely building, I recommend it. One of the things I most enjoyed was how the architects and designers incorporated so many elements of math, science, and history into the art and decoration of the church. The self-guided tour pamphlet says, " … the planned system of images and symbols designed to teach Christian beliefs, reveal the presence of God, and pay tribute to our country's history and values."

In the bottom left panel, you'll see the flag being raised at Iwo Jima and in the panel to the right, you'll see paratroopers.