Bell Laboratories Building (Manhattan) facts for kids
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Bell Telephone Laboratories
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| Location | 463 West Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York |
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| Built | 1896–1898 |
| Architect | Cyrus L. W. Eidlitz and others |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001202 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 15, 1975 |
| Designated NHL | May 15, 1975 |
The building at 463 West Street in Manhattan, New York City, is a very important place in American history. It's a large group of 13 buildings located between West Street, Washington Street, Bank Street, and Bethune Street. For many years, from 1898 to 1966, it was the main home of Bell Telephone Laboratories. This was a huge research center, once the biggest in the United States. Many amazing inventions that changed the world were created here.
This historic site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also a National Historic Landmark, known as the Bell Telephone Laboratories.
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A Place of Big Inventions
Bell Telephone Laboratories was a hub of new ideas. Scientists and engineers here invented many things that we use every day. They worked on ways to make phone calls better and clearer.
Some of the cool inventions developed here include:
- Early automatic telephone systems, like panel and crossbar switches. These helped connect phone calls without a human operator.
- The first experimental talking movies in 1923. Imagine watching a movie where the characters actually spoke!
- Early versions of black-and-white and color TV.
- Video telephones, which let people see each other while talking.
- Radar technology, which uses radio waves to detect objects.
- The vacuum tube, an important part of early electronics.
- New medical equipment.
- Improvements to the phonograph record, making music sound better.
- The first commercial radio broadcasts. This included the first live broadcast of a baseball game. They also broadcast a performance by the New York Philharmonic orchestra.
This building was also the main office for Bell Labs from 1925 until the early 1960s. After that, the headquarters moved to Murray Hill, New Jersey.
Role in World War II
During World War II, this building played a secret but important role. It was home to part of the Manhattan Project. This was a top-secret research project that developed new technologies to help end the war.
A New Life for Artists
After Bell Labs moved out, the building was empty for a while. Then, it was renovated by a famous architect named Richard Meier. In 1970, it reopened with a new purpose. It became the Westbeth Artists Community.
Today, Westbeth provides homes for artists who don't earn a lot of money. It helps them live and work in New York City. Besides apartments, the complex also has:
- A theatre for performances.
- An art gallery to show off new art.
- A synagogue, which is a place of worship.
A National Historic Landmark
Because of its important history and all the inventions made there, 463 West Street was named a National Historic Landmark in 1975. This means it's a very special place in American history.
The building was listed again on the National Register in 2009. This was because it's a great example of adaptive reuse. This means an old building was successfully changed to be used for something new.
The High Line elevated railroad used to pass underneath the building's first floor. This part of the old railway is still there, but it's now separate from the main High Line walkway.
See also
In Spanish: Bell Laboratories Building (Manhattan) para niños
