History
Architecture
Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church is a prime example of Victorian Gothic architecture. Conceived of as a "Cathedral of Methodism," the building was designed by Thomas Dixon and Charles L. Carson and completed on November 12, 1872 in what was then the outskirts of the city.
The church sits on the site of the mansion of Charles Howard, who was married to Elizabeth Phoebe Key. Her father, Francis Scott Key, the author of The Star Spangled Banner, died here in his daughter's home. A plaque observing his death adorns the southern outside church wall, marking the church as a highlighted location on the National Historic Register. The cost of this grand structure, including land, building, and furnishings was $400,000 in 1872 (in today's dollars it is ~$7,000,000).