Before our modern 911 service communities were served by police and fire call boxes that used a telegraph system. The District’s fire department first employed them in 1864. In DC they were used into the 1980s. At their peak, there were about 1,500 boxes in the District. In 2000, the city prepared to gather up the 700 or so that were still on the street, their mechanisms removed. That’s when Cultural Tourism D.C. suggested turning some into works of art reflecting the communities in which they stood. Look around the Hill - there's quite a few remaining. This one has not been turned into art (yet?!?) but it's the perfect home for a geocache.
zntarg. hc.