57:
99:
74:
124:
1013:
1072:
1246:
1024:
343:
131:
106:
81:
350:
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
304:
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
351:
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.
280:
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
271:
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
902:
1311:
997:
933:
1301:
917:
907:
992:
938:
579:
354:
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
959:
861:
892:
826:
791:
866:
771:
731:
556:
263:
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).
831:
821:
816:
796:
912:
746:
661:
781:
776:
651:
1316:
871:
836:
741:
716:
856:
806:
786:
761:
751:
736:
726:
711:
691:
666:
656:
646:
876:
851:
756:
696:
676:
671:
641:
631:
811:
766:
706:
681:
636:
165:
943:
841:
721:
686:
897:
846:
801:
701:
1291:
609:
594:
123:
549:
73:
625:
98:
1271:
1027:
542:
1017:
1306:
305:
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.
1205:
1113:
589:
331:
supermarket at Olive and 9th streets in 2009. Upper floors of the building continue to be used as residential apartments under the operation of
1215:
1296:
565:
34:
1060:
1276:
980:
56:
1281:
1210:
319:, a specialty market that also dealt in necessities for downtown condo and loft dwellers, which assumed the place of the only
1180:
1200:
1038:
1321:
1230:
1118:
364:
277:
208:
1190:
985:
964:
294:
300:
After
Southwestern Bell vacated the building, it became used as a retail and warehouse facility for the St. Louis
1153:
1108:
293:, adding to pressure on the capacity of the building. These pressures resulted in the construction of the nearby
1225:
447:
1053:
360:
500:
1185:
1163:
1148:
599:
256:
332:
1173:
1123:
604:
584:
425:
290:
1286:
1168:
1143:
1138:
1128:
356:
524:
1220:
315:
in upper floors, with commercial retail at ground level. One of the early ground level tenants was
252:
153:
359:
warehouse complex). It also is one of only a handful of buildings in St. Louis designed by either
316:
1249:
1195:
1133:
1046:
324:
260:
218:
43:
474:
1158:
1087:
286:
282:
255:, was built in 1889 for the purposes of housing the switchboard and local headquarters of the
534:
61:
Bell
Telephone Building as depicted in American Architect and Building News (January 1889)
231:
1265:
320:
998:
University and college buildings listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
342:
397:
529:
312:
180:
167:
1312:
Commercial buildings on the
National Register of Historic Places in Missouri
1076:
1092:
328:
301:
1302:
Telecommunications buildings on the
National Register of Historic Places
451:
308:
Between 1999 and 2004, restoration of the building created residential
993:
List of jails and prisons on the National Register of Historic Places
273:
130:
105:
80:
525:
Bell Lofts, rental residences located in the Bell Telephone Building
341:
496:
309:
1042:
538:
327:
from its opening in 2004 until the opening of a new format of
475:"Press Release on Opening of Schnucks in Downtown St. Louis"
530:
Information on the Bell Telephone Building at BuiltStLouis
426:"S.G. Adams quits paper chase, files for bankruptcy"
398:"NRHP Registration Form for Bell Telephone Building"
973:
952:
926:
885:
618:
595:
History of the National Register of Historic Places
572:
289:absorbed the local St. Louis telephone competitor,
237:
224:
214:
204:
196:
159:
147:
1317:National Register of Historic Places in St. Louis
626:List of U.S. National Historic Landmarks by state
1018:National Register of Historic Places portal
1054:
550:
8:
1292:Romanesque Revival architecture in Missouri
1061:
1047:
1039:
557:
543:
535:
251:, located at 920 Olive Street in downtown
55:
566:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
391:
389:
387:
385:
383:
381:
379:
35:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
375:
18:
1272:Buildings and structures in St. Louis
419:
417:
7:
503:from the original on 11 January 2010
297:in St. Louis between 1923 and 1926.
259:. The building served as the main
981:National Historic Preservation Act
14:
1307:Commercial buildings in Missouri
1245:
1244:
1070:
1023:
1022:
1011:
129:
122:
104:
97:
79:
72:
424:Vise, Marilyn (July 13, 2001).
934:Federated States of Micronesia
580:Architectural style categories
226:
1:
473:Willis, Lori (June 3, 2009).
138:Show map of the United States
1297:Telephone exchange buildings
428:. St. Louis Business Journal
16:United States historic place
365:Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
278:Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
209:Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
1338:
986:Historic Preservation Fund
965:American Legation, Morocco
396:Josse, Lynn (April 1999).
295:Southwestern Bell Building
1277:Architecture of St. Louis
1239:
1104:
1083:
1006:
927:Lists by associated state
225:NRHP reference
181:38.6288722°N 90.1945083°W
66:
54:
50:
41:
32:
25:
21:
908:Northern Mariana Islands
215:Architectural style
361:Henry Hobson Richardson
346:Bell Telephone Building
267:History and restoration
249:Bell Telephone Building
186:38.6288722; -90.1945083
27:Bell Telephone Building
1282:Landmarks of St. Louis
903:Minor Outlying Islands
886:Lists by insular areas
600:Keeper of the Register
363:or his successor firm
347:
257:Bell Telephone Company
605:National Park Service
585:Contributing property
497:"St. Louis LoftWorks"
345:
88:Show map of St. Louis
960:District of Columbia
113:Show map of Missouri
333:St. Louis LoftWorks
253:St. Louis, Missouri
177: /
154:St. Louis, Missouri
1322:Downtown St. Louis
454:on 6 February 2010
348:
325:downtown St. Louis
285:by 1920. In 1923,
261:telephone exchange
219:Romanesque Revival
44:St. Louis Landmark
1259:
1258:
1119:Board of Alderman
1088:Greater St. Louis
1077:City of St. Louis
1036:
1035:
590:Historic district
291:Kinloch Telephone
287:Southwestern Bell
283:Southwestern Bell
245:
244:
1329:
1248:
1247:
1075:
1074:
1073:
1063:
1056:
1049:
1040:
1026:
1025:
1016:
1015:
1014:
939:Marshall Islands
559:
552:
545:
536:
513:
512:
510:
508:
492:
486:
485:
483:
481:
470:
464:
463:
461:
459:
450:. Archived from
444:
438:
437:
435:
433:
421:
412:
411:
409:
407:
402:
393:
228:
192:
191:
189:
188:
187:
182:
178:
175:
174:
173:
170:
151:920 Olive Street
139:
133:
132:
126:
114:
108:
107:
101:
89:
83:
82:
76:
59:
19:
1337:
1336:
1332:
1331:
1330:
1328:
1327:
1326:
1262:
1261:
1260:
1255:
1235:
1226:School District
1100:
1079:
1071:
1069:
1067:
1037:
1032:
1012:
1010:
1002:
969:
948:
922:
881:
614:
568:
563:
521:
516:
506:
504:
495:
493:
489:
479:
477:
472:
471:
467:
457:
455:
446:
445:
441:
431:
429:
423:
422:
415:
405:
403:
400:
395:
394:
377:
373:
357:Cupples Station
340:
269:
185:
183:
179:
176:
171:
168:
166:
164:
163:
152:
143:
142:
141:
140:
137:
136:
135:
134:
117:
116:
115:
112:
111:
110:
109:
92:
91:
90:
87:
86:
85:
84:
62:
46:
37:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1335:
1333:
1325:
1324:
1319:
1314:
1309:
1304:
1299:
1294:
1289:
1284:
1279:
1274:
1264:
1263:
1257:
1256:
1254:
1253:
1240:
1237:
1236:
1234:
1233:
1231:Transportation
1228:
1223:
1218:
1213:
1208:
1203:
1198:
1193:
1188:
1183:
1178:
1177:
1176:
1166:
1161:
1156:
1151:
1146:
1141:
1136:
1131:
1126:
1121:
1116:
1111:
1105:
1102:
1101:
1099:
1098:
1095:
1090:
1084:
1081:
1080:
1068:
1066:
1065:
1058:
1051:
1043:
1034:
1033:
1031:
1030:
1020:
1007:
1004:
1003:
1001:
1000:
995:
990:
989:
988:
977:
975:
971:
970:
968:
967:
962:
956:
954:
950:
949:
947:
946:
941:
936:
930:
928:
924:
923:
921:
920:
918:Virgin Islands
915:
910:
905:
900:
895:
893:American Samoa
889:
887:
883:
882:
880:
879:
874:
869:
864:
859:
854:
849:
844:
839:
834:
829:
827:South Carolina
824:
819:
814:
809:
804:
799:
794:
792:North Carolina
789:
784:
779:
774:
769:
764:
759:
754:
749:
744:
739:
734:
729:
724:
719:
714:
709:
704:
699:
694:
689:
684:
679:
674:
669:
664:
659:
654:
649:
644:
639:
634:
629:
622:
620:
619:Lists by state
616:
615:
613:
612:
610:Property types
607:
602:
597:
592:
587:
582:
576:
574:
570:
569:
564:
562:
561:
554:
547:
539:
533:
532:
527:
520:
519:External links
517:
515:
514:
487:
465:
448:"City Grocers"
439:
413:
374:
372:
369:
339:
336:
268:
265:
243:
242:
241:August 5, 1999
239:
235:
234:
229:
222:
221:
216:
212:
211:
206:
202:
201:
198:
194:
193:
161:
157:
156:
149:
145:
144:
128:
127:
121:
120:
119:
118:
103:
102:
96:
95:
94:
93:
78:
77:
71:
70:
69:
68:
67:
64:
63:
60:
52:
51:
48:
47:
42:
39:
38:
33:
30:
29:
26:
23:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1334:
1323:
1320:
1318:
1315:
1313:
1310:
1308:
1305:
1303:
1300:
1298:
1295:
1293:
1290:
1288:
1285:
1283:
1280:
1278:
1275:
1273:
1270:
1269:
1267:
1252:
1251:
1242:
1241:
1238:
1232:
1229:
1227:
1224:
1222:
1219:
1217:
1214:
1212:
1209:
1207:
1204:
1202:
1199:
1197:
1194:
1192:
1191:Neighborhoods
1189:
1187:
1184:
1182:
1179:
1175:
1172:
1171:
1170:
1167:
1165:
1162:
1160:
1157:
1155:
1152:
1150:
1147:
1145:
1142:
1140:
1137:
1135:
1132:
1130:
1127:
1125:
1122:
1120:
1117:
1115:
1112:
1110:
1107:
1106:
1103:
1097:United States
1096:
1094:
1091:
1089:
1086:
1085:
1082:
1078:
1064:
1059:
1057:
1052:
1050:
1045:
1044:
1041:
1029:
1021:
1019:
1009:
1008:
1005:
999:
996:
994:
991:
987:
984:
983:
982:
979:
978:
976:
972:
966:
963:
961:
958:
957:
955:
951:
945:
942:
940:
937:
935:
932:
931:
929:
925:
919:
916:
914:
911:
909:
906:
904:
901:
899:
896:
894:
891:
890:
888:
884:
878:
875:
873:
870:
868:
867:West Virginia
865:
863:
860:
858:
855:
853:
850:
848:
845:
843:
840:
838:
835:
833:
830:
828:
825:
823:
820:
818:
815:
813:
810:
808:
805:
803:
800:
798:
795:
793:
790:
788:
785:
783:
780:
778:
775:
773:
772:New Hampshire
770:
768:
765:
763:
760:
758:
755:
753:
750:
748:
745:
743:
740:
738:
735:
733:
732:Massachusetts
730:
728:
725:
723:
720:
718:
715:
713:
710:
708:
705:
703:
700:
698:
695:
693:
690:
688:
685:
683:
680:
678:
675:
673:
670:
668:
665:
663:
660:
658:
655:
653:
650:
648:
645:
643:
640:
638:
635:
633:
630:
627:
624:
623:
621:
617:
611:
608:
606:
603:
601:
598:
596:
593:
591:
588:
586:
583:
581:
578:
577:
575:
571:
567:
560:
555:
553:
548:
546:
541:
540:
537:
531:
528:
526:
523:
522:
518:
502:
498:
491:
488:
476:
469:
466:
453:
449:
443:
440:
427:
420:
418:
414:
399:
392:
390:
388:
386:
384:
382:
380:
376:
370:
368:
366:
362:
358:
352:
344:
337:
335:
334:
330:
326:
322:
321:grocery store
318:
314:
311:
306:
303:
302:print company
298:
296:
292:
288:
284:
279:
275:
266:
264:
262:
258:
254:
250:
240:
238:Added to NRHP
236:
233:
230:
223:
220:
217:
213:
210:
207:
203:
199:
195:
190:
172:90°11′40.23″W
169:38°37′43.94″N
162:
158:
155:
150:
146:
125:
100:
75:
65:
58:
53:
49:
45:
40:
36:
31:
24:
20:
1243:
1109:Architecture
832:South Dakota
822:Rhode Island
817:Pennsylvania
797:North Dakota
505:. Retrieved
490:
478:. Retrieved
468:
456:. Retrieved
452:the original
442:
430:. Retrieved
404:. Retrieved
353:
349:
338:Architecture
317:City Grocers
307:
299:
270:
248:
246:
1287:Bell System
1216:Skyscrapers
953:Other areas
913:Puerto Rico
747:Mississippi
662:Connecticut
507:20 February
480:20 February
458:20 February
432:20 February
406:20 February
184: /
160:Coordinates
1266:Categories
1211:Public art
862:Washington
782:New Mexico
777:New Jersey
652:California
371:References
313:apartments
1186:Landmarks
1181:Hospitals
1164:Geography
1149:Education
1124:City Hall
872:Wisconsin
837:Tennessee
742:Minnesota
717:Louisiana
205:Architect
1250:Category
1174:Timeline
1093:Missouri
1028:Category
857:Virginia
807:Oklahoma
787:New York
762:Nebraska
752:Missouri
737:Michigan
727:Maryland
712:Kentucky
692:Illinois
667:Delaware
657:Colorado
647:Arkansas
501:Archived
329:Schnucks
232:99000936
148:Location
1169:History
1144:Economy
1139:Cuisine
1129:Culture
1114:Airport
974:Related
877:Wyoming
852:Vermont
757:Montana
697:Indiana
677:Georgia
672:Florida
642:Arizona
632:Alabama
276:-based
1221:Sports
1206:Police
1201:People
812:Oregon
767:Nevada
707:Kansas
682:Hawaii
637:Alaska
573:Topics
274:Boston
1196:Parks
1134:Crime
944:Palau
842:Texas
722:Maine
687:Idaho
401:(PDF)
197:Built
1159:Flag
1154:Fire
898:Guam
847:Utah
802:Ohio
702:Iowa
509:2010
482:2010
460:2010
434:2010
408:2010
310:loft
247:The
200:1889
323:in
227:No.
1268::
499:.
416:^
378:^
367:.
1062:e
1055:t
1048:v
628::
558:e
551:t
544:v
511:.
494:.
484:.
462:.
436:.
410:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
