A Piece of History: Inside the Pew Every President Has Occupied Since 1816

WASHINGTON – Sitting across from the White House, St. John's Episcopal Church has served each commander in chief since James Madison, the nation's fourth president.

Built in 1816, its proximity proved to be a dilemma for church leaders.

"They said, 'What are we going to do to accommodate the president of the United States if he wants to attend a service?' " said Richard F. Grimmett of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The solution was pew 54, which for 200 years has become known as "The President's Pew."

"People would come early to try and sit close by to shake the hand of the president when they passed the peace during the service and that got to be funny," Grimmett told CBN News.

"The reverend tells a story of how the church would slightly tilt to the left because everyone was sitting on the left-hand side when they thought the president was going to attend a service," he said.

An 18th century prayer book, placed in the pew when the commander in chief attends service, shares the nation's history, featuring presidential signatures from years' past.

But not every president took advantage of their reserved space. Abraham Lincoln chose to sit in the very last pew in the back by the door.

"He would come in quietly, sit in the back pew by himself, pray and do what he had to to deal with the burdens of the Civil War and just before the service would end, quietly walk out the back door," said Grimmett.

Anyone can sit in the pew when the president's not in attendance, and St. John's continues to open its doors to visitors who wish to experience a tiny part of the nation's history.