Southern New England Telephone Company Administration Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Southern New England Telephone Company Administration Building |
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| Alternative names | The Eli |
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Mixed-Use |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Location | 227 Church Street New Haven Connecticut |
| Coordinates | 41°18′33″N 72°55′25″W / 41.30917°N 72.92361°W |
| Construction started | 1937 |
| Topped-out | 1938 |
| Estimated completion | 1938 |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 230 ft (70 m) |
| Roof | 196 ft (60 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 17 |
| Floor area | 45,720 square metres (492,100 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Roy W. Foote, Douglas Orr |
| Main contractor | Dwight Building Company |
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Southern New England Telephone Company Administrative Building
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| NRHP reference No. | 97001447 |
| Added to NRHP | November 24, 1997 |
The Eli, also known as the Southern New England Telephone Company Administration Building, is a tall and impressive building in New Haven, Connecticut. It was finished in 1938 and is a great example of Art Deco style. This building used to be the main office for the Southern New England Telephone Company (SNET). They helped build telephone networks all over the state! Today, it's a modern apartment building.
What is The Eli?
The Eli is a famous skyscraper located at 227 Church Street in downtown New Haven. It's known for its unique Art Deco design, which was very popular in the 1920s and 1930s. This style often uses geometric shapes and fancy decorations. The building was designed by architects Douglas Orr and Roy W. Foote. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997 because of its importance.
A Look at Its Design
This building stands 17 stories tall. It's made with a strong steel frame, covered mostly in beautiful Indiana granite. A low pink granite wall marks the property line on Church Street. The building rises straight up for thirteen floors. Then, the upper stories step back, creating a cool, layered look.
The two sides facing the street have special entrance areas that stick out. The Art Deco style includes designs and pictures related to talking and sending messages. You might even see figures that look like they are holding lightning bolts! Inside, the main lobby is two stories high. It continues these themes with fancy materials and decorations.
From Telephone Hub to Homes
The Eli was completed in 1938. It was the tallest building in New Haven until 1966. Today, it's the tenth-tallest building in the city. About 1,200 employees of the Southern New England Telephone Company (SNET) worked here after it was built. SNET was a very important company in New Haven. It was in charge of making the telephone system grow across the whole state.
Starting in 2004, the building got a new purpose. It was changed into a fancy apartment building and renamed "The Eli." Now, it has 142 apartments and two shops on the ground floor. People consider this building New Haven's best example of Art Deco architecture. It also uses a lot of beautiful pink granite from Stony Creek.
