It is the second-tallest freestanding structure in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area, after the 809-foot tall River Road Tower in Bethesda, Maryland.

For these reasons, as well as its distinctive shape and large size, the tower is visible from a variety of locations in the District of Columbia and suburban Maryland.

The tower is owned by the District of Columbia Department of General Services, Portfolio Division.

It was designed by Texas engineer Henry “Hank” McGinnis, who worked in the Landmark or Adelphon style.

[5] It was built by the Landmark Tower Company and named for John S. Hughes, an Assistant D.C. Police Chief who had led the department's adoption of communications technology.