Second Telephone Exchange

Once it became evident that the first telephone exchange in Wilkinsburg on Franklin Ave (point 43) was nowhere near adequate to handle the rapidly growing telephone system in the area, a second more permanent building was built on this site at the beginning of the 20th century.

This was a very long structure which was necessary because of the batteries that were held in the basement. The alley next-door was named Telephone Way and is still named the same.

The building served its purpose as a telephone exchange for about 30 years and then moved yet again to Hay Street. The building was bought by the Boys Club of Wilkinsburg and later became the Boys and Girls club for the next 75 years, and then was purchased by the Pittsburgh Urban Christian School and dedicated as their middle school for a whole new life of re-purposing.