Cathedral Heights: Serene Neighborhood Around Washington National Cathedral

Summary: Cathedral Heights is a desirable, serene neighborhood around Washington National Cathedral in Washington DC's affluent northwest quadrant.

Cathedral Heights, viewed from Pilgrim Observation Gallery at Washington National Cathedral: dbking, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cathedral Heights is one of 23 neighborhoods in Ward 3, the westernmost ward in Washington, D.C.'s affluent Northwest quadrant.

The neighborhood receives its name from its most celebrated and most visible structure, the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington, known popularly as Washington National Cathedral. Authorized by the U.S. Congress on Jan. 6, 1893, the Cathedral emerged after 83 years of construction, beginning with the laying of the foundation stone on Sunday, Sept. 29, 1907, during the second term of Theodore Roosevelt (Oct. 27, 1858-Jan. 6, 1919) as 26th President of the United States (Sept. 14, 1901-March 4, 1909), and ending with the placing of the capstone on the St. Paul Tower on Saturday, Sept. 29, 1990, during the single term of George H.W. Bush (born June 12, 1924) as 41st President of the United States (Jan. 20, 1989-Jan. 20, 1993).

Among the neighborhood's ample attributes is its geographical prominence in the U.S. capital. Mount Saint Albans, on which the Cathedral stands, rises as one of the highest natural points in Washington, D.C. Its elevation at 400 feet (120 meters) above sea level offers commanding views of the historic area that was carefully designed as the federal center for the newly formed nation of the United States of America.

Alban Towers Apartment Building, 3700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Cathedral Heights:Luxury apartments define eastern border along Wisconsin Avenue; to northeast across Wisconsin Avenue is St. Albans Episcopal Church and School, which share Mount St. Albans with the National Cathedral: AgnosticPreachersKid, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cathedral Heights is demarcated by Wisconsin Avenue to the east; Woodley Road to the north; Fulton Street to the south; and Glover Archbold Park and Idaho Avenue to the west.

The halcyon neighborhood is bordered by four historic neighborhoods. Woodley Park, to the east, straddles Ward 3 as well as its eastern neighbor, Ward 1. Tenleytown lies to the north. Cleveland Park is sited to the northeast. Glover Park is located to the south. American University Park lies to the west.

Originally known as Tunlaw Heights, the neighborhood was renamed as Cathedral Highlands and was promoted via a notice in The Washington Post on Sunday, April 7, 1907, five+ months prior to the laying of the Cathedral's foundation stone on Sept. 29th. Previously characterized as wooded farmland frequented by wild dogs, the newly developing neighborhood covered 30 acres and included 1,348 feet (410.8 meters) of frontage on busy Wisconsin Avenue.

The architecture of the desirable, serene neighborhood showcases Edwardian row houses and single-family detached homes. Residential structures -- primarily apartment buildings, condominiums and cooperative complexes -- and commercial buildings define the eastern border, marked by the Wisconsin Avenue corridor.

WRC-TV, owned by National Broadcasting Company (NBC) and broadcasting as channel 4 in the nation's capital, has sited its studio and transmitter facility at 4001 Nebraska Avenue N.W. in Cathedral Heights since 1958.

Cathedral Heights beckons as a prestigious, safe, tranquil neighborhood where recreational spaces abound and where the absence of night life meccas precludes distraction from domesticity. Its ideal location, however, provides easy access to the plethora of distractions available in Washington D.C.'s other historic neighborhoods.

near Cathedral Heights' western borders of Glover Archbold Park and Idaho Avenue ~ Fannie Mae headquarters, 3900 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Cathedral Heights: AgnosticPreachersKid, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

DC Cathedral from Columbia Heights: Alex Guerrero (Poldavo [Alex]), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/poldavo/986561089/

Alban Towers Apartment Building, 3700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Cathedral Heights: AgnosticPreachersKid, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alban_Towers_Apartment_Building.jpg

Fannie Mae headquarters, 3900 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Cathedral Heights: AgnosticPreachersKid, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fannie_Mae_Headquarters.JPG

WRC-TV, 4001 Nebraska Avenue NW, Cathedral Heights, June 1962: James G. Howes (JG Howes), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WRC-TV.jpg

Cathedral Heights, viewed from Pilgrim Observation Gallery at Washington National Cathedral: dbking, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cathedral_Heights,_Washington,_D.C..jpg

For further information:

"Cathedral Heights." The Washington Post. Sunday, April 7, 1907, page 33.

Fogle, Jeanne. A Neighborhood Guide to Washington, D.C.'s Hidden History. Illustrated by Edward Fogle. Charleston SC: The History Press, 2009.

Marriner, Derdriu. "The Space Window in Washington National Cathedral: Moon Rock in Stained Glass." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-space-window-in-washington-national.html

"Move to Cathedral Highlands: An Unobstructed View of the Entire Surrounding Country." Ghosts of DC: The lost and untold history of Washington, D.C. April 27, 2012. Blog.
Available @ http://ghostsofdc.org/2012/04/27/move-to-cathedral-highlands-an-unobstructed-view-of-the-entire-surrounding-country/