Vancouver Telephone Building - Vancouver, Washington - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

"The Vancouver Telephone Building is a two story office building and telephone exchange with a reinforced concrete frame, decorative brick veneer, and unglazed terra cotta ornament. Built in 1934 and designed by the Seattle firm of Albertson, Wilson & Richardson, the building employs a stylized brick and terra cotta facade which reflects the "modernistic" movement in American architecture in the 1930s. The building, which is located on a 100 by 100 foot corner lot in a commercial area of downtown Vancouver, is built on a U-shape plan. The bottom of the U faces the principal (south) street facade...

The Vancouver Telephone Building is historically significant for its association with he development of the telecommunications industry in Clark County. Built in 1934-35 and designed by the prominent Seattle architectural firm of Albertson, Wilson, and Richardson, the building was the first structure designed exclusively to house the city's telephone exchange. For 50 years, the building served in that capacity and is today the only surviving structure associated with the company's early history. In addition, the building is among the most distinguished examples of "modernistic" design in the county, combining highly decorative brickwork and unglazed terra cotta ornament in a design that is at once classical and modern, suggesting both the civic importance of the telephone company and the functional role it played.

The Vancouver Telephone Building is among the finest examples of "modernistic" architecture in Clark County. The design incorporates stylized unglazed terra cotta ornament (principally a scroll and acanthus motif), cast by Gladding McBean and Company, with a decorative brick veneer that suggests streamlined classical columns. The decorative use of brick was an acknowledgment of both the functional aspects of a telephone exchange and the financial constraints imposed by the Depression. Neither strictly Art Moderne nor Art Deco in style, the building is an original interpretation of the "modern" influences of the period." - National Register Nomination

The building is in very good condition and now serves as an office building.

Street address: 112 W. Eleventh Vancouver, Washington County / Borough / Parish: Clark Year listed: 1986 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering Periods of significance: 1925-1949 Historic function: Industry/Processing/Extraction Current function: Commerce/Trade Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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