Bell Telephone Building (St. Louis, Missouri)
Encyclopedia
The Bell Telephone Building, located at 920 Olive Street in downtown St. Louis, Missouri
, was built in 1889 for the purposes of housing the switchboard and local headquarters of the Bell Telephone Company
. The building served as the main telephone exchange
for St. Louis from its construction until 1926, and it is the oldest extant telephone building in St. Louis (and possibly was the first building constructed for the telephone industry in St. Louis).
based Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
design, and the final construction cost was $154,225. The main switchboard room was at the top of the building (then only six stories). Between 1890 and 1910 telephone use expanded dramatically, and the local St. Louis Bell Company merged with other Bell telephone companies to form Southwestern Bell
by 1920. In 1923, Southwestern Bell
absorbed the local St. Louis telephone competitor, Kinloch Telephone, adding to pressure on the capacity of the building. These pressures resulted in the construction of the nearby Southwestern Bell Building
in St. Louis between 1923 and 1926.
After Southwestern Bell vacated the building, it became used as a retail and warehouse facility for the St. Louis print company
S.G. Adams Stationery, which was purchased by Comfort Printing in 1959 (but continued operating under the original name). The building became the flagship store for S.G. Adams during the 1960s through the 1980s. However, S.G. Adams refocused its business model on commercial printing in the early 1990s, closing its retail locations. The Bell Telephone Building became the final retail store of S.G. Adams, and it was closed and vacated in 1994.
Between 1999 and 2004, restoration of the building created residential loft
apartments in upper floors, with commercial retail at ground level. One of the early ground level tenants was City Grocers, a specialty market that also dealt in necessities for downtown condo and loft dwellers, which assumed the place of the only grocery store
in downtown St. Louis
from its opening in 2004 until the opening of a new format of Schnucks
supermarket at Olive and 9th streets in 2009.
Upper floors of the building continue to be used as residential apartments under the operation of St. Louis LoftWorks
Bell Telephone primarily is significant for its rarity in St. Louis architecture. Most downtown Romanesque Revival buildings were demolished during the 20th century, with some notable exceptions (such as the Cupples Station warehouse complex). It also is one of only a handful of buildings in St. Louis designed by either Henry Hobson Richardson
or his successor firm Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
.
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, was built in 1889 for the purposes of housing the switchboard and local headquarters of the Bell Telephone Company
Bell Telephone Company
The Bell Telephone Company, a common law joint stock company, was organized in Boston, Massachusetts on July 9, 1877 by Alexander Graham Bell's father-in-law Gardiner Greene Hubbard, who also helped organize a sister company — the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company...
. The building served as the main telephone exchange
Telephone exchange
In the field of telecommunications, a telephone exchange or telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects telephone calls...
for St. Louis from its construction until 1926, and it is the oldest extant telephone building in St. Louis (and possibly was the first building constructed for the telephone industry in St. Louis).
History and restoration
The earliest St. Louis telephone exchange was located in the National Bank Building at 417 Olive (since demolished) in 1878. By the late 1880s, space for a dedicated telephone exchange facility was needed. Groundbreaking occurred in 1889 after the acceptance of the BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
based Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge was a successful architecture firm based in Boston, Massachusetts, operating between 1886 and 1915, with extensive commissions in monumental civic and collegiate architecture in the spirit and style of Henry Hobson Richardson....
design, and the final construction cost was $154,225. The main switchboard room was at the top of the building (then only six stories). Between 1890 and 1910 telephone use expanded dramatically, and the local St. Louis Bell Company merged with other Bell telephone companies to form Southwestern Bell
Southwestern Bell
Southwestern Bell Telephone Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T. It does business as AT&T Southwest and other d/b/a names in its operating region.The company is currently headquartered in Dallas, Texas at One AT&T Plaza.-History:...
by 1920. In 1923, Southwestern Bell
Southwestern Bell
Southwestern Bell Telephone Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T. It does business as AT&T Southwest and other d/b/a names in its operating region.The company is currently headquartered in Dallas, Texas at One AT&T Plaza.-History:...
absorbed the local St. Louis telephone competitor, Kinloch Telephone, adding to pressure on the capacity of the building. These pressures resulted in the construction of the nearby Southwestern Bell Building
Southwestern Bell Building
The Southwestern Bell Building is a 28-story building that was built to be the headquarters of Southwestern Bell Telephone in Downtown St. Louis, Missouri.At the time of its construction it was Missouri's tallest building....
in St. Louis between 1923 and 1926.
After Southwestern Bell vacated the building, it became used as a retail and warehouse facility for the St. Louis print company
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
S.G. Adams Stationery, which was purchased by Comfort Printing in 1959 (but continued operating under the original name). The building became the flagship store for S.G. Adams during the 1960s through the 1980s. However, S.G. Adams refocused its business model on commercial printing in the early 1990s, closing its retail locations. The Bell Telephone Building became the final retail store of S.G. Adams, and it was closed and vacated in 1994.
Between 1999 and 2004, restoration of the building created residential loft
Loft
A loft can be an upper story or attic in a building, directly under the roof. Alternatively, a loft apartment refers to large adaptable open space, often converted for residential use from some other use, often light industrial...
apartments in upper floors, with commercial retail at ground level. One of the early ground level tenants was City Grocers, a specialty market that also dealt in necessities for downtown condo and loft dwellers, which assumed the place of the only grocery store
Grocery store
A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...
in downtown St. Louis
Downtown St. Louis
Downtown St. Louis is the central business district of St. Louis, Missouri, the hub of tourism and entertainment, and the anchor of the St. Louis metropolitan area. The downtown is bounded by Cole Street to the north, the river front to the east, Chouteau Avenue to the south, and Jefferson Avenue...
from its opening in 2004 until the opening of a new format of Schnucks
Schnucks
Schnucks is a supermarket chain. Based in suburban St. Louis, the company was started in 1939 with the opening of a store in north St. Louis city and now operates 100 stores in five states throughout the midwest. Schnucks also runs stores under the Logli Supermarkets and Hilander Foods banners...
supermarket at Olive and 9th streets in 2009.
Upper floors of the building continue to be used as residential apartments under the operation of St. Louis LoftWorks
Architecture
The building is a seven-story commercial building of brick and red sandstone, with three-story arcades rising from the ground-level storefronts. The building originally was built with six stories, while a seventh was added in the same style as the lower levels in 1919 to meet rising demands for space. In 1940, a limestone sheath covered the original storefronts after the building was purchased by S.G. Adams. The eastern wall of the building is blank brick and rises above a neighboring four-story building. The roof is flat, while a parapet wall surrounds the building on all sides.Bell Telephone primarily is significant for its rarity in St. Louis architecture. Most downtown Romanesque Revival buildings were demolished during the 20th century, with some notable exceptions (such as the Cupples Station warehouse complex). It also is one of only a handful of buildings in St. Louis designed by either Henry Hobson Richardson
Henry Hobson Richardson
Henry Hobson Richardson was a prominent American architect who designed buildings in Albany, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and other cities. The style he popularized is named for him: Richardsonian Romanesque...
or his successor firm Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge was a successful architecture firm based in Boston, Massachusetts, operating between 1886 and 1915, with extensive commissions in monumental civic and collegiate architecture in the spirit and style of Henry Hobson Richardson....
.