Verizon/AT&T Building
The Verizon/AT&T building previously known as The Telephone Company Building is a 16 story tall skyscraper in Buffalo, New York that was designed by HLW International.
History
The telephone established itself in 1879 in Buffalo, New York, with the installation of the first telephone in Miller's Livery Stable. The building was originally built in 1913 and completed in 1916 by HLW International, originally called Voorhees Walker Smith & Smith at the time. It was originally used by the New York Telephone after being taken over by The Bell Telephone Company in Buffalo in 1913 with, in 1930, artistic decoration being added to the building on the outside. The project of the building was funded by New York Telephone with them giving out USD$4,000,000 to fund infrastructure in Buffalo, New York which included the 16 story tall building, with the first call coming from the building being from Buffalo Mayor Louis P. Fuhrmann and Chamber of Commerce president H.A. Meldrum. Frontier, then known as Federal Telephone and Telegraph Company was sold to the New York Telephone company on August 1, 1918 which further expanded the telephone monopoly in Buffalo. In the early 20th century, the city of Buffalo saw significant growth in its telephone infrastructure. Initially, the number of telephones installed in Buffalo was approximately 66,000. This figure increased to 100,000 by 1925 and further expanded to 200,000 by 1947. The central hub for the telecommunication machinery was the Telephone Building. As of 1948, it was reported that the facility housed an extensive network of 909 miles of switchboard cable and 1,200 miles of auxiliary wiring, alongside an aggregate of 2,000,000 pounds of various metals, including iron, copper, and lead. Notably, the upper floors of the building were characterized by the constant sound of clicking switches and circuits, which underscored the bustling activity of the telephone exchange. Verizon Communications invested nearly $7 million in the restoration of the building with the project included replacing over 969 windows, some dating to the early 20th century, restoring the copper parapet, installing new roofs, and repairing the terra cotta, brick, limestone, and other masonry materials. This initiative aimed to address issues such as heat loss, cracks, water damage, and corrosion, with the goal of ensuring the building's preservation for another 30 years.The building stands at 258 feet and has a width of 76 feet that is made of mainly steel with a rigid frame with the façade material being brick terracotta and the façade system being applied masonry multi-wythe exterior, the architectural style is neo-gothic.