Luther Place Memorial Church
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Luther Place Memorial Church
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A bronze statue of Martin Luther and the Gothic Revival tower of Luther Place Memorial Church
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| Location | 1226 Vermont Ave., NW. (Thomas Circle), Washington, District of Columbia |
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| Coordinates | 38°54′25″N 77°1′56″W / 38.90694°N 77.03222°WCoordinates: 38°54′25″N 77°1′56″W / 38.90694°N 77.03222°W |
| Built | 1870 |
| Architect | York, Judson |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| NRHP reference # | 73002096 |
| Added to NRHP | July 16, 1973 |
Luther Place Memorial Church is a neo-Gothic church built in Washington, DC 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 near its namesake, a statue of Martin Luther. The statue is a replica of one in Worms, Germany, which was given to the church in 1884 by the German emperor William I.
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 Wycliffe, Philipp Melanchthon, Martin Luther, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Harriet Tubman, John Knox, John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli, and John Wesley. The church's exterior is covered with red sandstone from the Seneca Quarry, the same quarry that provided the stone for the Smithsonian Castle.
The church was dedicated as a symbol of healing after the Civil War. 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."
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