Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania Western Headquarters Building
Also known as: Verizon Building
Why it's listed
Completed in 1958 at the western tip of Pittsburgh's Golden Triangle, this twelve-story office headquarters was designed by local architect Press C. Dowler, assisted by his son William C. Dowler, for the Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania. It stands within the Gateway Center, the 23-acre Renaissance I urban renewal site cleared after the city's redevelopment authority acquired the land in the 1940s. Its curtain wall of aluminum, anodized aluminum spandrels, and granite cladding forms a colonnade on Stanwix Street. The lobby features marble walls and terrazzo floors. The building cost $8.5 million and housed the company's western Pennsylvania headquarters staff. It is regarded as a significant example of mid-century modern office architecture in Pittsburgh and as a representative work of Dowler's practice, and its public interior and exterior spaces are described as largely unaltered.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is a significant example of mid-century modern architecture in Pittsburgh and a significant example of the work of local architect Press C. Dowler. It is described as reflecting a transitional moment as architects embraced Modern movement principles, with a granite-clad colonnade and aluminum curtain wall. It was built as part of the Renaissance I urban renewal program that redeveloped The Point.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 11000921, listed December 15, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 201 Stanwix St., Pittsburgh |
|---|---|
| County | Allegheny County |
| Listed | December 15, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000921 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1958 |
| Architect / builder | Press C. Dowler (architect), assisted by William C. Dowler |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The building was used as a Bell Telephone headquarters until 1994, later became the Verizon Building, and was sold in 2006; limited Verizon offices remained as of October 2010. |
| Acreage | 1.4 |
| Within district | Pittsburgh Renaissance Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.44203, -80.00485 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 11000921.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4883274
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.