Step inside Washington's own Gothic cathedral Despite being built entirely during the 20th century (1907-1990), the techniques used to construct the Washington National Cathedral were the same as those used on the centuries-old Gothic churches in Europe. What powered the larger tools and cranes was different, but otherwise, the processes, ordering, and artistic finishing were almost entirely medieval. The last time a building of this magnitude was built using these techniques, cameras did not exist. Images of America: Building Washington National Cathedral divides the 20th century into decades to detail what must be the first published beginning-to-completion photographic record of the construction of a Gothic cathedral.
R. Andrew Bittner was born in Washington, DC, in 1962, and was introduced to Washington National Cathedral as a toddler. By the age of five, when able to read the word “crypt” (with an arrow), his fascination with the huge Gothic construction site had begun. Since then, regardless of whatever else he has been doing with his life, Bittner has been studying the Washington National Cathedral and Gothic architecture. Now an acknowledged expert on Washington National Cathedral, Bittner has been a volunteer cathedral docent since 2000 and a cathedral employee, serving in the Visitor Programs office, since 2002.