The Gallerita!

Recently, three of my coworkers

Recently, three of my coworkers were in a discussion about one of the SW Bell buildings in downtown Dallas that houses the Riverside Central Office. Greg and Jeff were discussing about how the building had been moved 24' to allow room for the widening of a street. Pam, who was listening, claimed no way could a building of that size be moved. Evidently, Pam did not realize that at the time the building was only 4 stories tall. So she bet that they did not know what they were talking about. So that she could win her bet she began researching the issue. She wrote to a person at the Dallas Public Library and received the following letter:

Based on the information from this latest email, I went back and did some
research in the city directories for the early twentieth century. I was
never able to find a "Riverside Central Telephone office" in any directory
at the Akard address you mentioned.

However, Southwestern Telegraph & Telephone (SW Bell) had its office
building at Jackson and S. Akard, although the street address was not 308 S.
Akard. In looking at information about SW Bell and its buildings, I came
across an article in the Dallas Morning News, December 23, 1928 edition
which talked about Bell's new headquarters at Wood and Akard Streets. The
article also mentioned that the company's original building was to be moved
24 feet to allow for the street to be widened. The paragraphs read as
follows:

"The north and south line on the west, or front of the building, is
even with the fronts of the Federal Reserve Building and the Baker Hotel.
This leaves only the old Telephone Building at the corner of Jackson and
Akard streets out of line for the widening program. In order to permit of
this street improvement at an early date, the telephone company has agreed
to move this four-story brick building back twenty-four feet and place it in
a line with the administration building. This will be perhaps the most
important building moving job ever undertaken in Texas. The company will
not wait for condemnation proceedings and damages to be assessed by legal
process, but will do this job at its own expense -- approximately $100,000."
"The moving will be of particular interest as the operation of the
equipment and the work of the employees will not be disturbed for an instant
while the job is in progress. To move the building without interfering with
the telephone system will be an important engineering achievement. Many
special arrangements will be required not necessary in connection with
moving an empty building."
"The building faces on Jackson street with a frontage of
seventy-four feet and extends back seventy-four feet on Akard street. Until
such time as the city proceeds with the widening of Akard street the present
curb line will be maintained and the space between it and the sidewalk along
the two telephone buildings will be sodded. Actual work in connection with
the job will start about May,1929, and will probably be completed in
August."

You may review this and other Morning News articles on microfilm at the
Central Library on the 7th floor any day the library is open. I hope this
information will be of some help to you. Please let me know if you have
additional questions.

Needless to say, Pam lost her bet. Greg had seen pictures of the project while attending a class before he became employed with SWB.

The part of the article that intrigued me the most was this:The moving will be of particular interest as the operation of the
equipment and the work of the employees will not be disturbed for an instant
while the job is in progress.

Posted by Rita at August 15, 2002 07:21 PM