The Presidential Pew
by Ed Weidman
Title
The Presidential Pew
Artist
Ed Weidman
Medium
Photograph - Photographs
Description
A kneeler is a cushion (also called a tuffet or hassock) or a piece of furniture used for resting in a kneeling position.
In many churches, pews are equipped with kneelers in front of the seating bench so members of the congregation can kneel on them instead of the floor. In a few other situations, such as confessionals and areas in front of an altar, kneelers for kneeling during prayer or sacraments may also be used. Traditionally, altar rails often have built-in knee cushions to facilitate reception of Holy Communion while kneeling.
The cornerstone of St. John’s was set on September 14, 1815. St. John’s first service was held on October 27, 1816, and the church was consecrated on December 27, 1816. Beginning with James Madison, until the present, every person who has held the office of President of the United States has attended a service at St. John’s. Several early Presidents were communicants, as were more recent ones. Thus, St. John’s is known as “the Church of the Presidents” and is registered as a National Historic Landmark. Pew 54 is the President’s Pew, and is reserved for the President’s use when in attendance at the church.
St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square is a historic Greek Revival Episcopal church designed by Benjamin Latrobe and located at Sixteenth Street and H Street NW, in Washington, D.C. It is across Lafayette Square from the White House. Every sitting president has attended the church at least once since it was built in 1816, starting with James Madison. With the exception of Richard Nixon, every president since Franklin D. Roosevelt has attended spiritual services on Inauguration Day, many at St. John's. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960.
Beginning with James Madison, every president has been an occasional attendee at St. John's due both to the overwhelmingly Episcopal religious affiliation of U.S. presidents and the church's proximity to the executive mansion. Perhaps the most devoted presidential attendee was Abraham Lincoln, who habitually joined evening prayer throughout the Civil War from an inconspicuous rear pew. St. John's is popularly nicknamed the "Church of the Presidents". President James Madison established the tradition of a "president's pew," selecting pew 28 for his private use in 1816. During a renovation in 1843, the pews were renumbered, and the president's pew became pew 58. President John Tyler asked that pew 58 be assigned to him, and paid for its use in perpetuity by presidents of the United States. Additional renovations in 1883 renumbered the seat to pew 54, and this pew has remained reserved for the president's use when in attendance. Although the "president's pew" is open for the use of any U.S. president who wishes to worship at the church, during weddings and other events the president usually sits in the front pew as a matter of protocol.
Uploaded
February 26th, 2018
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