The Big Chair in southeast DC stands at 19 and 1/2 feet tall. Originally constructed from 4,600 pounds of African mahogany by Basset Furniture for the Curtis Bros Furniture Company, its seat is as wide as two double-sized beds. The style was created by 18th-century furniture maker Duncan Phyfe, whose furniture also rests in the …

In the shadow of the DC Court of Appeals (or the National Building Museum, depending on the time of day) is a tribute so subtle, you might mistake it for a simple park. Three acres of space lined with cube-trimmed trees at Judiciary Square hold two rows of curving marble walls. Fierce adult lions and small lion cubs are perched atop these walls. The lions are a reference to the image in this quote from Proverbs, which is written in stone beneath one of the bronze cats: “The wicked flee when no man pursueth but the righteous are bold as a lion .” On those stone walls, the names of 19,660 fallen law enforcement officers are carved.

When the District was illuminated by gas flame and before cell phones (BCP) city planners spliced street lights and call boxes together to create a corner by corner assistance system. Bright red glass surrounded the flame up top, making a “Police” or “Fire Call Box” logo glow in the darkness. …