Burleith in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Patriotism and Espionage
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), December 2, 2019
The Western High School building in Burleith, which now houses Duke Ellington High School of the Arts, was home to the school's cadets from 1897 to the 1970s. More than a high school military unit, the main object of the cadets was character building and training in future citizenship. From the early 1930s, hundreds of sharply dressed students passed this call box as they marched down R Street from the school to practice at Western Stadium (also known as Ellington Field). These young men were members of the Washington High School Cadet Corps and participated in many public events including marching in the funeral procession for President Franklin Roosevelt. Annual competitive drills among the DC high schools in which companies of fifty young men executed seventeen marching and rifle movements, requiring at least fifty commands, were frequently won by The Western High School. The winning company captain received the coveted diamond-studded Allison Nailor medal, and his company marched off the field to "the Washington High School Cadets' March," which was specially composed by John Philip Sousa when he was stationed in Washington as director of the United States Marine Band.
In sharp contrast to the patriotism demonstrated by the cadets was the treachery of Aldrich Ames. Ames, a former CIA counterintelligence officer, spied for the Soviet Union and Russia for about a decade, before being caught and convicted of espionage. He used a mailbox located at the northeast corner of this intersection to signal the Russians about a needed meeting by leaving a horizontal chalk mark above the United States Postal Service logo. The FBI followed this activity for months by mounting a video camera in a bird feeder in the yard of a nearby home. In 1994, Ames was sentenced to life without parole. It is believed that Ames compromised the second-largest number of CIA agents ever, second only to those betrayed by former FBI agent Robert Hansson.
This fire call box was restored in 2015 with generous donations from the residents and friends of Burleith. Sculptor and Burleith resident Jeannette Murphy created the bas-relief on the other side of this call box.
Erected 2015.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Patriots & Patriotism • War, Cold. A significant historical year for this entry is 1897.
Location. 38° 54.815′ N, 77° 4.37′ W. Marker is in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in Burleith. Marker is at the intersection of R Street Northwest and 37th Street Northwest, on the right when traveling west on R Street Northwest. Touch for map.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 27, 2018
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Evolution of Burleith (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Origins of Burleith (about 600 feet away); Famous Burleith Residents (about 600 feet away); St. Mary's (about 600 feet away); St. Mary's Hall (about 600 feet away); History of MedStar Georgetown Hospital (about 700 feet away); Healing in War and Peace (approx. 0.2 miles away); Daniel Boone Trail Marker (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Northwest Washington.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), December 2, 2019
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 27, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 236 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on December 2, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 2. submitted on January 27, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on December 2, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.