Church of the Epiphany

Leading up to the Civil War, the Church of the Epiphany was the parish church of Jefferson Davis, who left Washington in 1861 to become president of the Confederate States of America. At least fifty Union generals were connected to the church in some way, including Gen. Frederick Lander, whose funeral as the first Union general killed during the war was held at the church. Epiphany's rector during the Civil War, the Rev. Dr. Charles H. Hall, was a strong Unionist who inspired Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, to become an Epiphany parishioner for the rest of his life. Dr. Hall was also one of four Washington clergy to officiate at Lincoln's White House funeral. For six months in the latter half of 1862, Epiphany was taken over by the federal government for use as a hospital for Union troops.