Luther Place Memorial Church  Luther Place Memorial Church is a congregation belonging to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The neo-Gothic church in Washington, DC, was designed by architects Judson York, J. C. Harkness, and Henry Davis and constructed in 1873 as a memorial to peace and reconciliation following the American Civil War. Its original name was Memorial Evangelical Lutheran Church. It is located in Thomas Circle near its namesake, the Luther Monument. The statue is a replica of the main figure of the Luther Monument in Worms, and was given to the church in 1884 by the German emperor William I.  Luther Place was built in 1873 by architects Judson York, J. C. Harkness, and Henry Davis. The church, like many others, resembles the shape of a ship, symbolizing a vessel for God's work, and it is well known for its stained glass windows picturing twelve reformers: Gustavus Adolphus, John Huss, John Wycliffe, Philipp Melanchthon, Martin Luther, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Harriet Tubman, John Knox, John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli, and John Wesley. The church's exterior is covered with red sandstone from the Seneca Quarry, the same quarry that provided the stone for the Smithsonian Castle. The church was dedicated as a symbol of healing after the Civil War. In 1904, Luther Place suffered damage from a fire, leading to restoration of the church and a renewed energy and celebration of its mission. President Theodore Roosevelt spoke at the restoration ceremony, saying, "The Lutheran Church is destined to become one of the two or three greatest churches, most distinctly American." In 2007 the interior of the sanctuary was extensively restored. In the years after the fiery devastation along 14th street following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in April 1968, Luther Place began to consider its property and location as an opportunity to help minister to the wounded of the city. In 1970, the church called a new pastor, John Steinbruck, who had served an intercity neighborhood in Easton, Pennsylvania. Under his leadership, the congregation began transforming dilapidated row houses on N Street into what became a smorgasbord of faith inspired programs (Bread for the City, Deborah's Place, Zacchaeus Medical Clinic, Sarah House, Bethany Women's Center, Dietrich Bonheoffer House, Abraham Welcome House, the DC Hotline, etc.) to help bring healing in the community.