Southwestern Bell Main Dial Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Southwestern Bell Main Dial Building
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Southwestern Bell Main Dial Building in 2005, 5th Street and Detroit Avenue, Tulsa.
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| Location | 5th Street and Detroit Avenue |
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| Built | 1924 (Phase 1) 1930 (Phase 2) |
| Architect | Ben Ball, I. R. Timlin |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival (Phase 1); Zig Zag Art Deco (Phase 2) |
| NRHP reference No. | 84003445 |
| Added to NRHP | June 22, 1984 |
The Southwestern Bell Telephone Company built a two-story building in 1924. This building was made to hold the new automatic telephone dialing machines. These machines were first used in Tulsa in November 1924. The first part of the building looked like a castle, in the Gothic Style.
In 1930, the company added four more floors to the top of the building. These new floors were for offices and special equipment. This equipment helped connect Tulsa to Oklahoma City with an underground cable. The 1930 addition had a cool, modern look called Zig Zag Art Deco Style.
The Building's Design and Look
When Southwestern Bell planned the building in 1924, they knew Tulsa's telephone system would grow. So, they made sure the first two stories were strong enough. The engineers designed the building to hold at least seven more floors later on.
The first two floors were built in the Gothic Style. This style was very popular in the United States at the time. The outside of the building is covered with light brown bricks. The first floor has big, rounded windows. These windows are framed with a special clay material called terra cotta.
The color of the terra cotta frames matches the corner decorations. These decorations go all the way up to the second floor. The windows on the second floor are rectangular. They are separated by brick panels. These panels have terra cotta decorations that look like torches. The flat parts between the second-floor windows are made of light-colored terra cotta tiles.
A Historic Landmark: Added to the National Register
The Southwestern Bell Dial Telephone building is an important part of history. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 22, 1984. This means it is a special place that should be protected. Its official number on the register is 84003445.
How Telephones Came to Tulsa
The very first telephone system in the area was set up by the U.S. Army in 1879. It connected Fort Sill and Fort Reno. This helped the army communicate during their operations.
Later in 1879, the Cherokee Nation started the first public telephone system. It connected their offices in Talequah and Muskogee. It also linked to Fort Gibson.
In 1899, a man named Robert H. Hall built a telephone system in Tulsa. It connected 80 homes and businesses. Hall sold his system in 1903. It was bought by the Indian Territory Telephone Company. This company was later bought by Pioneer Company in 1904. Pioneer Company is seen as the start of Southwestern Bell Telephone Company.
Hall's first telephone business used a manual switchboard. It was on the second floor of a building in downtown Tulsa. Telephone lines ran from the switchboard, out a window, and to a pole outside.
After Pioneer Company bought the system, the main office moved. It went to the Bynum Building. By 1906, the Pioneer system served 280 telephones in Tulsa. The number of telephones grew quickly. By 1924, Tulsa had 18,726 telephones. This number jumped to 41,471 by 1930.
