Indiana Bell Telephone Building
( SBC Building )
| Dates: | 1930-1933/1947-1948/1963-c.1967 |
| Location: | 240 N. Meridian Street (SW corner Meridian and New York Streets), Indianapolis, Indiana |
| architects: | Vonnegut, Bohn & Mueller |
| Contractor: | Leslie Colvin of Indianapolis (1930-1933) |
| Cost: | Approximately $1,850,000 (1930-1933) + $1,000,000 (1947-1948) + ?? (1960s) |
The Indiana Bell Telephone / SBC Building has a very interesting and eventful history. It was the site of the Meridian Street Methodist Episcopal Church, which was destroyed in a disastrous fire. In 1906-1907 the Central Union Telephone Company Building was built on the site.
In 1929, the Indiana Bell Telephone Company, which had purchased the Central Union Telephone Company, planned to build a new building. It was to occupy the site of the Central Union Telephone Company Building, the former Marion Club, and the old Indianapolis Telephone Company Building (a c.1860s-1870s mansion which had been remodeled for commercial purposes). Originally the company planned to demolish all three buildings, but architect Kurt Vonnegut, Sr. (father of the famed novelist) determined that the building could be moved to obtain its full life of service. The eight-story building weighed 11,000 tons and measured 101 by 34 feet. It was moved 52 feet south and then turned 90 degrees, then moved 100 feet west to face Meridian Street. John Eichlea Co. of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was the contractor for the moving, with assistance from Bevington, Taggert & Fowler, consulting engineers to Vonnegut, Bohn & Mueller, the project architects.
An extra 200'+ of slack was spliced into the telephone cables and the plumbing and gas lines were fitted with flexible hoses to allow the building to remain in full service. All of the 500+ long-distance telephone circuits remained in full service during the move. The elevators remained in use throughout the move, only they did not descend past the first floor. A curved sidewalk of steel and concrete was built between Meridian and New York Streets, following the outline of the building's arc of rotation. A bridge from the curved walk to the front door was moved along with the building, providing uninterrupted access.
Eighteen workers using 100-ton jacks moved the building in 3/8-inch increments. The move began on October 14, 1930 and was completed on November 12. A special concrete mat was poured below the basement level and covered with large timbers and 600 tons of rail. The building moved on more than 400 rollers, and its occupants were not conscious of any motion during the move. It remains one of the largest buildings ever moved. Vonnegut, Bohn & Mueller received thousands of letters and telephone calls of individuals wondering if the move had really happened. As of the 1970s, the Indiana Bell Telephone Company still received occasional calls about the move from architects and engineers.
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| View from University Park, 2005 | |
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| Meridian Street M. E. Church (Enos & Huebner, architects) | Meridian Street M. E. Church in 1906 after it was destroyed by fire |
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| Central Union Telephone Company Building (1906-1907) | Site of the new Indiana Bell Telephone Building, July, 1930 |
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| Moving the Central Union Telephone Building, October 14-November 12, 1930, to make way for new Indiana Bell Building | Aerial view of the move showing temporary sidewalk and bridge that rotated with the building |
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| "The Building Likes Its New Location" from the Indiana Telephone News, January, 1931 | Rendering of the new Indiana Bell Telephone Building by Vonnegut, Bohn & Mueller, c.1930 |
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| Lobby inside Meridian Street entrance, January 22, 1933 | "Counterless business office," January 22, 1933 |
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| Rendering of 7-story extension, 1947 | A similar view, 2005 |
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| View of the upper stories (1947-1948, 1960s) | Note darker staining on floors 1-7 (1930-1932) |