Washington National Cathedral was completed in 1990 after construction began in 1907.
The cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of Saints Peter and Paul, was built in the Gothic Revival style on Mount Saint Alban in northwest Washington, D.C. Construction began with a groundbreaking ceremony in 1907, but the project proceeded intermittently over many decades because of financial and historical interruptions.
President George H. W. Bush spoke at the completion service on September 29, 1990. The building is the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and serves as a national gathering place, although it is not a government-owned national church.
The cathedral suffered damage during the 2011 Virginia earthquake, including cracks in masonry and damage to pinnacles and flying buttresses. Restoration continued for years. Its west façade includes the famous Space Window, which contains a fragment of lunar rock presented by NASA astronauts.