Western Union Telegraph Building, Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri Western Union Telegraph Building
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Location	100-114 E. 7th St., Kansas City, Missouri
Coordinates	39°6′20″N 94°34′53″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1920
Architect	Smith, Charles A.; Van Sant, J.R., Construction Co.
Architectural style	Early Commercial
NRHP reference No.	03000010[1]
Added to NRHP	February 12, 2003

The Western Union Telegraph Building in Kansas City, Missouri, is a former telecommunications building from 1920. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

History

Western Union began operations in Kansas City in 1865.[2] In 1915, the company started planning a new regional hub in the city and began construction in 1919. The facility opened in 1920.[3] Western Union continued its telecommunication operations in the building until the late 1970s.[4] The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 12, 2003.[5] In 2014, technology company The Nerdery moved into the Western Union building.[6]

Architecture

The building is a four-story Commercial style structure. The concrete building is covered in a brick veneer, brown on the lower two floors and red on the upper two.[7] The Walnut Street and 7th Street facades are divided into six bays and ten bays, respectively.[8] Below the cornice on each facade is a terra cotta sign that reads "WESTERN UNION".[7]

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. Ambler & Schwenk 2013, Section 8, p. 17.
3. Ambler & Schwenk 2013, Section 8, p. 18.
4. "An Evaluation of the Missouri Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program's Impact on Job Creation and Economic Activity Across the State" (PDF). The Missouri Growth Association. March 2010. p. 16. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
5. "Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 2/10/03 Through 2/14/03". National Park Service. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
6. Rosen, Steve (November 19, 2014). "The Nerdery, a Minneapolis-based tech company, is expanding in Kansas City". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on March 24, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
7. Ambler & Schwenk 2013, Section 7, p. 1.
8. Ambler & Schwenk 2013, Section 7, p. 2.

Bibliography

• Ambler, Cathy; Schwenk, Sally F. (February 12, 2013). "National Register of Historic Places Nomination: Kansas City, Missouri Western Union Telegraph Building (including accompanying 17 photos)" (PDF). National Archives Catalog.