Christ Church

Having lived in Arlington as long as I have, I always meant to attend church in Alexandria nearby but it was something that kept slipping my mind until the other Sunday. During the coronavirus lockdown, a fun activity has been going out to various colonial era sanctuaries so Christ Church was a must-see for me.

Built in 1773, three years before the Declaration of Independence, it goes without saying that Christ Church is historic. However, it is especially so because George Washington regularly attended services here. While many houses of worship throughout northern Virginia make this claim, Christ Church can do so without stretching the truth. In all other cases, it is much more likely that George Washington attended service with them once rather than frequently. In addition, Christ Church is where Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor went with Winston Churchill for the National Day of Prayer on January 1, 1942.

An especially gorgeous sanctuary, it follows the layout commonly found in Anglican churches of the period but this congregation has meticulously maintained their surrounding yard. Being late spring, roses, irises, and peonies were all in bloom along with a number of flowers I did not recognize. I stopped into their book store while there and left with a copy of Simple Divine: Recipes from Historic Christ Church which shares ideas like Greening-of-the-Church Brunswick Stew and Great Balls of Fire which are vodka and hot sauced soaked cherry tomatoes dusted with seasoned salt.