Christ Church at 620 G St. SE, built in 1807, was the first religious structure completed in the old city of Washington. The Episcopal Parish, incorporated in 1794, was formed particularly to serve the developing community near the Navy Yard and the Capitol and was known for many years as Christ Church Navy Yard. The initial two-story brick structure was 38’ x 45’ and described by Bishop Claggett at its consecration as “not large but sufficiently elegant.” In 1824, the church was expanded 18’ to the north for more pews and in 1849 a 4-story bell tower with a center door was added to the front. Battlements, folded sheet-iron finials and wooden tracery in the arched windows added to the Gothic appearance and English churchyard feel. In 1891, a fifth story and rose windows were added to the bell tower and a projecting porch added to its base. And finally, in 1900 pebble-dash stucco was applied, giving the church its uniform “vernacular Gothic” appearance. The interior, likewise, has gone through several iterations – plainly painted, ornate Victorian, faux Gothic stone and today’s evocation of the original simplicity. The church has been celebrating its 225th year, starting in November 2019, with concerts and a memorial tree planting and will continue the in-person observances when that is possible. The church was listed in the DC Inventory of Historic Places in 1964 and added to the National Register in 1969.

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For more information on these historic sites, go to the restoration society’s web page for the walking tour at http://chrs.org/historic-sites-tour-2020/

Best to view in "Original" because other versions resized by Pbase are decidedly unsharp.

‘Parking Lot Pickup’ Mountain Band, posted earlier: