No. 9 On The Map:
Peace Cross
Between St. Alban’s Church and St. Albans School stands the twenty foot tall Peace Cross. The Celtic cross faces toward the National Mall and is formed from two large pieces of limestone. It was designed by the architect Robert W. Gibson (who also designed National Cathedral School’s Hearst Hall) and donated by Cathedral Trustee Dr. William Cabell Rives. It bears on its front the litany for unity, peace, and concord.
The Peace Cross was dedicated on October 23, 1898, at a memorial service that commemorated the end of the Spanish-American War. President McKinley spoke at the service, denoting that this land be set apart for sacred purposes. Mr. Nourse, senior warden at St. Alban’s Church and a descendant of Joseph Nourse, the original owner of the land on Mount St. Alban, pulled the cord that held the flag enveloping the Peace Cross. The cross was raised to mark the site of the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul (Washington National Cathedral). The foundation stone of the Cathedral was laid nearby nine years later in 1907.
Just below the Peace Cross sits an open air altar on a stepped pedestal – the Landmark Memorial Sundial and Altar.
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Partner with us to ensure that the 57 acres of gardens and grounds surrounding Washington National Cathedral continue to be a haven of peace and refreshment in the midst of the Nation’s Capital.
