Christ Church and Its Parishioners ,
was the first Episcopal church established in Washington City ( ).It was attended by Presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams.At first Christ Church met in a nearby tobacco warehouse.In parishioner and land owner William Prout donated land to the congregation.One year later a simple,two-story rectangular building went up, designed by Navy Yard contractor Robert Alexander.That structure still exists behind the church’s Gothic Revival façade,which was applied in along with a bell tower.The bell tower served as a Union lookout during the Civil War. Over the years,Christ Church’s balconies have seated slaves,choir members,and Marines who were marched over on Sunday mornings from the nearby Barracks.Marine Band Director John Philip Sousa was a member and neighbor.He was born in at G Street,three doors away,and grew up around the corner at Seventh Street. As a boy Sousa walked to Eighth Street for music lessons.He apprenticed to the Marine Band at age ,playing various instruments through two enlist- ments until age .After a short time spent com- posing and conducting,he returned in to lead the Marine Band until .That year he resigned to form the Sousa Band,which toured the world and sealed his reputation.Today’s audiences con- tinue to thrill to Sousa’s compositions,including The Stars and Stripes Forever ,the official march of the United States.
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