Hughes Memorial Tower
Encyclopedia
The Hughes Memorial Tower is a radio tower
located in Washington, D.C.
at 6001 Georgia Avenue
, near the intersection of 9th Street, NW, and Peabody Street, NW. Built on January 15, 1989, the tower is positioned at 38°57′47"N 77°1′36"W and at an elevation of 87.7 m (288 ft) above mean sea level. The tower is owned by the District of Columbia Office of Property Management. It is used to propagate the WDCW
Channel 50 television signal and for radio communication by the Washington, D.C. police department
on the 460 MHz frequency band. Standing at 761 ft (232 m) tall, the tower's height surpasses that the Washington Monument
by more than 200 ft (61 m) and the WTTG
Television Tower by 55 ft (17 m).
The tower is a three-legged, free-standing star tower, similar to that built in 1936 for the Naval Radio Transmitter Facility
in Annapolis, Maryland
and the Star Tower
in 1991 for WSTR-TV
in Cincinnati, Ohio
. The tower features nine strobe beacons
, situated on each of the tower's legs at one beacon per 200 ft (61 m). The beacons are synchronized to flash at 1.5-second intervals.
In 1998, the National Capital Planning Commission
approved a plan to use the Hughes Memorial Tower as part of a 9-1-1
service upgrade. In doing so, it noted that the tower was constructed without its prior permission and that it has caused "concern about the effect of the tower on the views of the major monuments and memorials in the Nation's Capital." The tower has also generated criticism by those in nearby neighborhoods within Ward 4; during the winter months, the police "frequently have to close the streets next to this tower because of the risk[s] posed by falling ice."
The tower is located on a relatively high spot just off Georgia Avenue, NW, in Washington's Brightwood neighborhood
, situated several miles from the city's main cluster of transmission towers in the Tenleytown neighborhood. Except for a much smaller transmission tower next to it, there are no nearby large structures. For these reasons, as well as its distinctive "star tower" shape and large size, the tower is prominently visible from a variety of locations in the District of Columbia and suburban Maryland.
The tower has a series of daytime strobe light
s and nighttime red warning navigation lights.
Radio masts and towers
Radio masts and towers are, typically, tall structures designed to support antennas for telecommunications and broadcasting, including television. They are among the tallest man-made structures...
located in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
at 6001 Georgia Avenue
Georgia Avenue
Georgia Avenue is a major north-south artery in Northwest Washington, D.C. and Montgomery County, Maryland. Within the District of Columbia and a short distance in Silver Spring, Maryland, Georgia Avenue is also U.S. Route 29...
, near the intersection of 9th Street, NW, and Peabody Street, NW. Built on January 15, 1989, the tower is positioned at 38°57′47"N 77°1′36"W and at an elevation of 87.7 m (288 ft) above mean sea level. The tower is owned by the District of Columbia Office of Property Management. It is used to propagate the WDCW
WDCW
WDCW, channel 50, is the CW-affiliated television station for Washington, D.C. It transmits from the Hughes Memorial Tower located in the Brightwood section of the city. Owned by the Tribune Company, the station has studios on Wisconsin Avenue Northwest in the Glover Park section of Washington...
Channel 50 television signal and for radio communication by the Washington, D.C. police department
Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia
The Metropolitan Police Department, also known as the DC Police, DCPD, MPD, and MPDC is the municipal police force in Washington, D.C...
on the 460 MHz frequency band. Standing at 761 ft (232 m) tall, the tower's height surpasses that the Washington Monument
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington...
by more than 200 ft (61 m) and the WTTG
WTTG
WTTG, channel 5, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, located in the American capital city of Washington, D.C...
Television Tower by 55 ft (17 m).
The tower is a three-legged, free-standing star tower, similar to that built in 1936 for the Naval Radio Transmitter Facility
NSS Annapolis
NSS Annapolis, officially known as Naval Communications Station Washington, D.C. Transmitter or NavCommStaWashingtonDC, was a Very Low Frequency and High Frequency transmitter station operated by the United States Navy....
in Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
and the Star Tower
Star Tower
Star Tower is a digital television and FM radio transmitting tower on Winton Road in the College Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. The three-legged lattice tower stands high. It was built for WSTR-TV, known as "Star64"...
in 1991 for WSTR-TV
WSTR-TV
WSTR-TV is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for the Tri-State area of Southwestern Ohio, Southeastern Indiana, and Northern Kentucky. Licensed to Cincinnati, the station broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 33 from a transmitter in the College Hill section of the...
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. The tower features nine strobe beacons
Aerodrome beacon
An aerodrome beacon or rotating beacon is a beacon installed at an airport or aerodrome to indicate its location to aircraft pilots at night....
, situated on each of the tower's legs at one beacon per 200 ft (61 m). The beacons are synchronized to flash at 1.5-second intervals.
In 1998, the National Capital Planning Commission
National Capital Planning Commission
The National Capital Planning Commission is a U.S. government agency that provides planning guidance for Washington, D.C. and the surrounding National Capital Region...
approved a plan to use the Hughes Memorial Tower as part of a 9-1-1
9-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
service upgrade. In doing so, it noted that the tower was constructed without its prior permission and that it has caused "concern about the effect of the tower on the views of the major monuments and memorials in the Nation's Capital." The tower has also generated criticism by those in nearby neighborhoods within Ward 4; during the winter months, the police "frequently have to close the streets next to this tower because of the risk[s] posed by falling ice."
The tower is located on a relatively high spot just off Georgia Avenue, NW, in Washington's Brightwood neighborhood
Brightwood, Washington, D.C.
Brightwood is a neighborhood located in the northwestern quadrant of Washington, D.C. Brightwood and the rest of Ward 4 are represented in the Council of the District of Columbia by Muriel Bowser.- Geography :...
, situated several miles from the city's main cluster of transmission towers in the Tenleytown neighborhood. Except for a much smaller transmission tower next to it, there are no nearby large structures. For these reasons, as well as its distinctive "star tower" shape and large size, the tower is prominently visible from a variety of locations in the District of Columbia and suburban Maryland.
The tower has a series of daytime strobe light
Strobe light
A strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope...
s and nighttime red warning navigation lights.