Dupont Circle

—Diverse Visions/One Neighborhood —

This section of 15th St. and the east-west blocks meeting it were developed mainly from 1874 to 1887 by a group of speculative investors. The house at the corner of 15th and Q Sts. was built earlier, in 1864.St. Augustine's, Washington's first black Catholic Church, grew from the Blessed Martin School (honoring Saint Martin De Porres), which opened in the 1100 block of 15th St. in 1858. Dedicated in the 1860s as St. Augustine's Church - the church later moved to the 1700 block of 15th St. and then to 15th and V Sts.At 1733 16th St. stands the House of the Temple (above), the headquarters building of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A. It was designed by John Russell Pope, architect of the National Archives, the National Gallery, the Jefferson Memorial and several churches and residences. Built 1911-1915, the temple was modeled on the mausoleum of Halikarnassos, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Its council room is 100 feet high.
Sidebar:Fire Alarm Boxes such as this one (originally painted red) were installed in the District after the Civil War. Telegraphs transmitted the box number (top) to a fire alarm center. This system was used until the 1970s when the boxes were converted to a telephone system. By the 1990s, the callbox system had been replaced
by the 911 system and was abandoned.
Fire Fact | 1893"Betwixt the fires and deadly wires/And hydrants plugged with ice/A "busted" hose, and other woes/It can't be very nice."From Fire and Water, 1893, describing the firefighter's job.
Fire Department information and images courtesy of Capitol Fire MuseumArtist | Tom JenningsTom Jennings is a local artist specializing in ink drawings and logo design.Tour guide, map and artist information for all 22 boxes available at: www.DupontCircleCallBox.com

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Georgia Douglas Johnson Residence Historical
Bishop's Gate Condominium
Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church
John Wesley Cromwell Residence Historical
This is part of the Shaw neighborhood
Owen D Young Peace Tower, a War Memorial
Strong Families and Eminent Citizens
Todd Duncan Residence Historical
The Dupont Circle area has always been
Charlotte Forten Grimke House

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