Bell Telephone Building
This historic tower once showcased spectacular terra-cotta detailing, which was unfortunately covered by stucco during a 1970s modernization effort.
Bell Telephone Building (Oak Tower)
324 East 11th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106 (Map)
Built: 1917 - 1920, 1929
Architect/Style: Hoit, Price, & Barnes // Commercial
Area: Financial District
The Bell Telephone Building, now commonly known as Oak Tower, is a significant part of Kansas City’s architectural and technological history. Rising 28 stories above the downtown streets, it symbolizes the rapid growth of communication technology in the early 20th century.
Designed by the renowned local firm Hoit, Price & Barnes in association with I.R. Timlin, Oak Tower initially served as the headquarters for the newly consolidated Southwestern Bell Telephone Company’s Southwestern System. Although its tenure as a headquarters was brief, the building’s historical and architectural significance has endured for over a century.
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