User:Writerbird/Foundry United Methodist Church

Originally located in Georgetown and later at 14th and G, Foundry dedicated its first building in September 1815. Henry Foxall, a Methodist layman and influential businessman, donated the land and building after his Georgetown iron foundry survived the British attack on Washington in the War of 1812.

For almost two centuries, the church has been home to presidents, members of Congress, and others in public service. President Abraham Lincoln became a Life Director of the Methodist Missionary Society, and President Rutherford Hayes attended Foundry nearly every Sunday during his term. President Franklin Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill attended a special service at Foundry on December 25, 1941. President William Clinton and his family attended regularly.

Foundry has long been active in mission, with work that mirrors the humanitarian concerns of the times. In 1995, Foundry affirmed publicly that it was a reconciling congregation, now one of nearly 200 United Methodist Churches in the Reconciling Congregation Movement.