Built in 1887, St Mary’s was home to the first black Episcopal congregation in DC, which was established in 1867. James Renwick, designer of the Smithsonian Castle, created the beautiful redbrick building especially for the congregation. Above the altar are French-made stained-glass windows that depict, among others, the African bishop and martyr St Cyprian. The church's Tiffany-designed Stanton window depicts an angel holding an orb of peace.
St Mary’s Episcopal Church
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
13.32 MILES
One of America's most visited historic sites, Mount Vernon was the beloved home of George and Martha Washington.
1.81 MILES
The legendary exhibits at the National Air and Space Museum include the Wright brothers' flyer, Chuck Yeager's Bell X-1, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St…
1.73 MILES
Two buildings. Hundreds of masterpieces. Infinite enjoyment. It's easy to spend a full day at the National Gallery of Art, which showcases a whole range…
0.68 MILES
Anchoring the National Mall's west end is the hallowed shrine to Abraham Lincoln, who gazes across the Reflecting Pool beneath his neoclassical, Doric…
National Museum of African American History & Culture
1.1 MILES
Located in Washington, DC, the sensational National Museum of African American History & Culture is devoted exclusively to the documentation of African…
2.32 MILES
Since 1800, this is where the legislative branch of American government (ie Congress) has met to write the country's laws.
0.75 MILES
Play image association with the words “Washington, DC,” and chances are the first thing that comes to mind is the White House. The president’s pad is…
1.28 MILES
Sprawling across hills above the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia, Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place for America’s most revered…
Nearby attractions
1. George Washington University
0.13 MILES
Known as ‘G-dub’ or ‘GW,’ this university has been a bedrock of Washington identity since its founding in 1821. Besides shaping much of the American…
0.21 MILES
This gem is the country’s only textile museum. Galleries spread over two floors hold exquisite fabrics and carpets. Exhibits revolve around a theme – say…
0.23 MILES
Designed by Italian architect Luigi Moretti and DC-based landscape architect Boris Timchenko and constructed between 1963 and 1971, this five-building…
0.25 MILES
One of the best bits of the George Washington University campus, where Colonial-revival buildings flank a green park bedecked with roses and a statue of –…
0.33 MILES
The headquarters of the American diplomatic corps is a forbidding, well-guarded edifice – modernist, monolithic and unfriendly. In stark contrast are the…
6. National Academy of Sciences
0.44 MILES
Made up of approximately 2000 members, including almost 200 Nobel Prize winners, these are the folks the government hits up for scientific advice (whether…
0.48 MILES
The grounds in front of the National Academy of Sciences feature DC’s most huggable monument: Robert Berks' bronze 1978 statue of Albert Einstein. The…
0.48 MILES
‘The Fed,’ is the Olympus of the Gods of the American Economy. Housed in a monolithic white building that closely resembles a Soviet ministry, it is…