A 150-foot tower pierced the sky. Its Romanesque details whispered tales of a bygone era. This is the Church of the Covenant. Or rather. This was the Church of the Covenant.
The Church of the Covenant wasn’t just a church. It was a cornerstone of Washington DC society. Built in 1887 by architect J Cleveland Cady it embodied High Victorian taste. Cady drew inspiration from Henry Hobson Richardson’s Romanesque style. Think Alleghany County Courthouse in Pittsburgh or Boston’s Trinity Church. The original structure was far grander than its humble beginnings as a small chapel.
Imagine a monumental entrance. Vaults echoing imperial Roman architecture. Carved angels adorned the spandrels and tracery. Tiffany and Booth glass stained-glass windows bathed the interior in radiant hues. A magnificent 15-foot-tall brass gas chandelier. Inspired by Saint Sophia in Constantinople it hung in the nave. Three sides of the nave showcased an illustrated life of Christ. More Tiffany and Booth glass artistry. This splendor attracted some of America’s most influential figures.
The Church of the Covenant became known as the “Church of the Government”. Presidents Benjamin Harrison and Dwight D Eisenhower attended services. They sat in the President’s Pew. US Secretaries of State James G Blaine and John Foster Dulles were also regular attendees.
The Church of the Covenant’s story wasn’t without change. It became Covenant First Presbyterian Church in 1930 after merging with First Presbyterian Church. Then it was renamed National Presbyterian Church in 1947. The changing times brought about more changes. Suburbanization led to the congregation purchasing land in the upper Northwest. But the old Church of the Covenant on Connecticut Avenue NW stood for nearly eight decades. Despite the pleas of the congregation to save it the church was demolished in 1966. However its legacy lives on. The beautiful Tiffany and Booth glass windows found a new home in the current National Presbyterian Church. The spirit of this remarkable church. The Church of the Covenant continues to inspire.