Nebraska Telephone Company Building, historic three-story building in Lincoln, Nebraska
The Nebraska Telephone Company Building is a three-story office structure in downtown Lincoln built in 1894. The building features arched windows, ornamental stonework, a terra cotta bell symbol on its facade, and decorative panels that reflect its original purpose as a telephone exchange headquarters.
The building was constructed in 1894 as the first structure in Lincoln specifically designed for telephone equipment and operations. From 1912 to 1927, the Lincoln Telephone and Telegraph Company operated from this location before the building passed to various commercial tenants over subsequent decades.
The building takes its name from the Nebraska Telephone Company, the enterprise that originally commissioned it. Today the ground floor houses a bookstore, showing how the space has evolved while continuing to serve as a gathering place for the community.
The building is located downtown on South 13th Street and is easily accessible on foot. The bookstore on the ground floor provides a convenient reason to visit while allowing you to view the historic architecture from the street.
This is the only surviving building designed by renowned local architect Thomas R. Kimball that remains in its original form in Lincoln. Kimball also designed the University of Nebraska Administration Building, but that structure was demolished in the 1960s, making this site a valuable remnant of his architectural legacy.
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