204 Second Avenue, 204-214 Second Avenue; 300-322 East 13th Street | Block : 454 | Lot #7

Description & Building Alterations

In 1891, four five-story tenement buildings stood on this site, owned by Frank Shaffler and designed by architect Oswald Wirz. In 1923 these buildings were demolished to make way for a new three-story telephone exchange building designed by McKenzie, Voorhees & Gmelin. Following the death of Andrew Campbell McKenzie in 1926, the firm was renamed Voorhees, Gmelin & Walker. Under this new name, the firm designed the expansion of the building in 1929, which resulted in the creation of the eleven-story building that stands today.

The building is a good example of functional Art Deco architecture as illustrated by the geometric ornamentation on the upper story, recessed window bays, ornamental belt courses, and elaborate first floor door surround seen at the centered entry on the Second Avenue facade. Telephone exchange buildings such as this one were quickly cropping up throughout the United States as telephone communication grew in the early- to mid-19th century. The buildings housed mechanical systems and switch boards that made early phone calls possible. Both McKenzie, Voorhees & Gmelin and Voorhees, Gmelin & Walker received numerous commissions for telephone-related structures.