By tradition, he made the contribution in gratitude for divine intervention after a thunderstorm prevented British soldiers from destroying the foundry during the Burning of Washington.

In 1924, Frederick Brown Harris was appointed pastor, a position he would have for more than 30 years, during which time he also served as the Chaplain of the Senate, and became the longest-serving holder of that title.

Early in the American involvement in the war, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill attended a special interfaith service at Foundry on December 25, 1941.

The Foundry Choir was selected to lead the opening communion service of the 1984 UMC General Conference, marking the bicentennial of Methodism in America.

[8] A committee led by organist Eileen Guenther supervised its design and installation, choosing spots and voicing to reflect a focus on Classical and Romantic French literature.