Churches of Capitol Hill — Neighborhood Nomads

October 20, 2013, Washington, DC: Ever walk past the same structures again and again only to look up one day and notice something striking? That's the manner in which I've started to notice the churches of Capitol Hill. There are literally hundreds of them in this big old neighborhood, upwards of 20 within a six-block radius of home. I can hear their bells ringing from our kitchen and listen to singing voices burst from them as I'm jogging past. Several are cores of activity, a few were renovated into condos years ago. Most, I imagine, house great community stories, both past and present. I've taken pictures of them here and there when the light seems unusually flattering or soft or the outline of the church appears especially bold against a severe blue sky. This morning I set out on a purposeful walk to photograph the others. I zigzagged throughout the immediate neighborhood between 2nd and 9th Sts., only as far north as Massachusetts Ave. NE and as far south as G St. SE. Sometimes I've gone out searching for something specific only to have it elude me, but not this morning: At every turn was another church of another denomination and another architectural style that I pass by daily without much thought. Here are a handful of my church photos collected during walks around the neighborhood...

Left: Capitol Hill Presbyterian, 4th and Independence SE. Center: St. Peter's Catholic Church, 2nd and C SE. Top right: Church of the Resurrection, 8th and Independence SE. Bottom right: St. Mark's Episcopal, 3rd and A SE.

Top: St. Peter's Catholic Church. Bottom left: Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 2nd and East Capitol NE. Bottom right: St. Mark's Episcopal.

Left: Ebenezer United Methodist, 4th and D SE. Top right: Capitol Hill Seventh-Day Adventist, 9th and Massachusetts Ave NE. Bottom right: Epworth Church, 7th and A NE.

Left: St. Peter's Catholic Church. Top center: Christ Church, 6th and G SE. Top right: Ebenzer United Methodist. Bottom right: St. Mark's Episcopal.