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Indiana Bell was founded in 1920 as the Indiana branch of Bell Telephone. In 1929, it purchased the eight-story Central Union Telephone Co. building at New York and Meridian streets with plans to demolish it and build a larger headquarters. But Kurt Vonnegut Sr., an architect and father of then-7-year-old (and later famous author) Kurt Vonnegut Jr., suggested Indiana Bell move the building 52 feet and turn it 90 degrees, creating room for an addition. So, over 30 days the following year, 18 workmen used a specially created concrete mat and steel rails to inch the building along—literally, at a rate of 15 inches per hour. During that time, the utilities remained connected and 600 workers continued to use the building to provide phone service. The building was then expanded several times over the years, until it was demolished in 1963.
Sources: Indiana Historical Bureau, Indiana Historical Society, The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis
Credit: The photo is courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society and is part of the W.H. Bass Photo Co. collection. More images are available at images.indianahistory.org.
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