In 1993, the National Park Service took over maintenance of Dupont Circle which is news to me.  As I strolled through the circle this morning I noticed that they were replacing a section of the circular benches that are often the subject of local area photographers.  I stopped to talk to the workers for a while who were at first skeptical when I asked them to take some pictures, but by the end of our talk they said, “Feel free to come back and take more pictures if you want.”

After a few years of exposure to the elements, the wood begins to rot which is when the NPS springs into action.  I often wondered how they got the wooden slats to bend into their arched form.  As you can see they start with one end of the board, anchor it to the concrete bench, and keep working their way down to the end, clamping it as they go.  They use fir wood due to its durability, which is key when a bunch of people are going to be sitting on it every day.

Thank you, National Park Service, for keeping Dupont Circle in tip top shape!