HISTORY
Police and fire call boxes were installed throughout the capital starting in the 1860s. They began to become obsolete with the introduction of the 911 emergency call system in the 1970s.Yet the call boxes remained, too large and heavy to REMOVE.
ART ON CALL
The Art on Call initiative began in 2000 when the city surveyed and identified call boxes for refurbishment. More than 1,100 abandoned boxes have been located to date.
Since 2002, however, the Art on Call project, created by Cultural Tourism D.C., has turned 122 of the 1860s-era fire and police call boxes into public pedestals for local art and quirky history markers.
TENLEYTOWN CALL BOXES
This call box is one of 11 in Tenleytown. This one recognizes the history of the Early Tenleytown homes. The artist's drawing is of the Grant Road Homes.