Virginia Earthquake Rattles Towers of National Cathedral

IBT ^ | August 23, 2011 3:41 PM EDT | By Jay Akasie | August 23, 2011 3:41 PM EDT By Jay Akasie | August 23, 2011 3:41 PM ED

[11th_VA]

The Washington National Cathedral, which was damaged in today's Virginia earthquake, is a masonry structure that was built with mediaeval building methods instead of using a modern steel infrastructure.

The official name of the structure is the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. It's the seat of the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and has become known as the National Cathedral because numerous American statesmen, including President Woodrow Wilson, are interred there. President Teddy Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the cathedral, which took the Episcopal Diocese of Washington more than a century to complete.

To architectural purists, employing medieval building methods is a preferable -- and a very expensive -- way to build. Yet without the strength of a steel skeleton, engineers say all-stone buildings are prone to heavy damage when earthquakes hit.

Three of the cathedral's four pinnacles on the cathedral's central tower toppled after the earthquake hit, according to eyewitness reports.

[11th_VA]

Maxine Waters fault?

[Artemis Webb]

Other websites are saying that on the central tower (the one in the rear) 3 of the four pinnacles have fallen and that the tower itself appears to be leaning.

For those who have never been there the structure is amazing. It was THE highlight of our visit to Washington D.C.

[AppyPappy]

I believe it is the same denomination where Vicky Jean Robinson is a Bishop (left his family for a gay lover)

[COBOL2Java]

So is the Phelps cult going to demonstrate outside the Washington Cathedral now?

[twister881]

And because the Episcopal Church has given up being a Christian denomination (they are Secular Socialists now), they are in dire financial circumstances. The Diocese of Washington, D.C., under the uber-leftist regime of Bishop Chane and in which the National Cathedral is located, is bankrupt.

[codder too]

There is a picture of the damage on The Blaze.com. Caption notes that the damage was on the “RITE” spire. Too funny...

[Iron Munro]

For those who have never been there the structure is amazing.

It is one of America's gems indeed!
The night view of the lighted Cathedral is magnificent.
I hope there is no significant damage.

It would probably be impossible to build a Cathedral like that in Washington in today's radical socialist environment.

A mosque, yes. A Christian Cathedral, doubtful.

[steve86]

I would like to see a responsible denomination take it over and repair it.

[UB355]

I especially enjoyed looking down at the planes landing at Reagan national, very cool.

[11th_VA]

My daughter txt me when it happened. She was next door at St Albans when the bells started ringing (the bells, the bells, I can’t stand the bells)

Anyway, it was odd since it wasn’t noon so everyone looked up - then they saw the tops of the spires topple.

[goat granny]

That is a beautiful building, thanks never been to Washington area..

[BubbaBasher]