Dupont Circle
—Diverse Visions, One Neighborhood —
Front:
Fire Fact, June 25, 1925
The era of horse-drawn fire apparatus ends with a ceremonial "final run" with Barney, Gene and Tom pulling a 1905 Steam Pumper belonging to Engine Company 19.
Fire Department information and images courtesy of Capitol Fire Museum
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 By the 1990s, the callbox system had been replaced by the 911 system and was abandoned.
During the years following the Civil War, because there were no regulations governing the planning of new subdivisions, developers often laid out new streets with no regard for coherence and without public amenities. In 1891 Charles Carroll Glover (below) persuaded Congress to extend the order of L'Enfant's original streets and avenues all the way to the District line.
In 1880 street modernization began to reach this area. That year a recent invention known as asphalt, made of coal tar and gravel laid over a cement base, covered M and N Sts. and the numbered streets south of Dupont Circle while New Hampshire Ave. still had wood block
paving, an earlier, failed experiment in street paving (the wood rotted). Gas lamps lighted the paved streets at intersections and at intervals, but only for six hours each night.
Image at left courtesy of The Historical society of Washington, D.C.
Artist,
Matthew Parker
Washington artist, Parker, explores multidimensional DC landscapes through photographic collages using a standard point and click camera. Recently adapting Cubism, he wants viewers to experience a scene's poetic space through multiple collaged pictures that wrap around them.
Tour guide, map and artist information for all 22 boxes available at: www.DupontCircleCallBox.com
Reverse:
Dupont Circle
Art on Call
The Dupont Circle Art on Call project explores neighborhood history and local fire and police events. It also celebrates our diverse political, artistic and intellectual community by presenting original artwork by 22 local artists featuring the hub of our neighborhood. Dupont Circle and the beautiful fountains designed by Daniel Chester French.
Art on Call is a program of Cultural Tourism DC with support from
DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development
District Department of Transportation
This
call box is sponsored by:
Blue Capital Management, Inc. &
Boston Properties, Inc.,
The Dupont Circle Citizens Association
Dupont Circle Art on Call Corporate Sponsor
PNC Bank
This community project also supported by
Dupont Circle Association and the Dupont Circle Conservancy, Inc.
and generous donations from community residents and businesses.
See all 22 Dupont Circle Call Boxes!
Development Committee Members:
Marilyn Newton, Chair
Michael Beidler
Phil Carney
Elaine Faye
Carol Galaty
Bill Glew
Gil Hill
Steve Hoglund
Maureen Lynch
Gary McLeod
Amanda McNally
James H. Mears
Gerald Allen Schwinn
Tour guide, map and artist information available at: www.DupontCircleCallBox.com
Graphic design coursesy of: e-lanestudio
Fabrication: Gelberg Signs
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