History

Christ Church was the first Episcopal Church in Washington Parish, created by the Maryland Vestry Act of 1794. Our congregation’s first building was a tobacco warehouse on the corner of New Jersey Avenue and D Street SE. Thomas Jefferson could often be seen walking to Christ Church, prayer book in hand, located just a few blocks south of the site for the new Capitol building.

In 1806, the cornerstone was laid for the church’s current structure at 620 G Street SE. Since the beginning of the 19th century, this charming, compact building – later remodeled to look like an English country church in Gothic–Revival style – has crowned a little knoll on Capitol Hill. It is the earliest structure in the city built to serve an ecclesiastical purpose, and was placed on the National Historic Register in 1969. Twenty–nine rectors have served Christ Church across its history.

Christ Church is also the owner of Historic Congressional Cemetery, located just a few blocks east at 1801 E Street SE. This 35-acre site, established in 1807 and now managed by the Association for the Preservation of Historic Congressional Cemetery, is the final resting place for many who led our country in its early days, including a vice president, a Supreme Court justice, and many members of Congress. Christ Church continues to be actively involved in the workings of the cemetery through membership on the board, and program partnerships. The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, and designated a National Historic Landmark in 2011.

To learn more about the history of Christ Church, read A brief history of Christ Church by Nan Robertson, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and former Christ Church member.