|
Luther Place Memorial Church
|
|
|
A bronze statue of Martin Luther and the Gothic Revival tower of Luther Place Memorial Church
|
|
| Location: | 1226 Vermont Ave., NW. (Thomas Circle), Washington, District of Columbia |
|---|---|
| Built: | 1870 |
| Architect: | York, Judson |
| Architectural style: | Gothic |
| Governing body: | Private |
| NRHP Reference#: | 73002096[1] |
| Added to NRHP: | July 16, 1973 |
Luther Place Memorial Church (Washington, D.C.) was built in 1873 as a memorial to peace and reconciliation following the American Civil War. Its original name was Memorial Evangelical Lutheran Church and it was designed by architects Judson York, J.C. Harkness, and Henry Davis. It is located in Thomas Circle in Washington, D.C. near its namesake, a statue of Martin Luther. The statue is a replica of the one in Worms, Germany, which was given to the church in 1884 by the German emperor.
Contents |
Luther Place was built in 1873 by architects Judson York, J.C. Harkness, and Henry Davis. The church, like many others, resembles the shape of a ship, symbolizing a vessel for God's work, and it is well-known for its stained glass windows picturing twelve reformers: Gustavus Adolphus, John Huss, John Wyckliffe, Philipp Melanchthon, Martin Luther, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Harriet Tubman, John Knox, John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli, and John Wesley. A much needed restoration of the interior has recently taken place.
In 1904, Luther Place suffered damage from a fire, leading to restoration of the church and a renewed energy and celebration of its mission. President Theodore Roosevelt spoke at the restoration ceremony, saying, "The Lutheran Church is destined to become one of the two or three greatest churches, most distinctly American."
Opening the church's doors in 1968 to the homeless taught the Luther Place congregation that such service was difficult, and many congregants resisted the development. However, after a homeless man froze to death in 1974 not far from the church, the new pastor, John Steinbruck, once again opened the doors of the church to the homeless, and the building filled to capacity. This outlook led to a $19 million building project on a property on N Street owned by Luther Place that is now N Street Village - Eden House/Promise Place, a new high-rise development offering a "continuum of care" for homeless women. In 1996, the same year of the beginnings of N Street Village, Luther Place was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1979, Luther Place founded the Lutheran Volunteer Corps - an organization that places young adults as volunteers with non-profit organizations.
In 2001, the Steinbruck Center for Urban Studies was created as a means of educating others about the work of Luther Place and N Street Village. It is named for John and Erna Steinbruck.
|
||||||||||||||||||||