National Register of Historic Places

Southern New England Telephone Company Adminstrative Building

New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut
Listed
November 24, 1997
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
97001447

About this property

The Eli, formerly the Southern New England Telephone Company Administration Building, is a skyscraper at 227 Church Street in downtown New Haven, Connecticut. Completed in 1938, it is the city's finest example of Art Deco architecture, and was headquarters to the Southern New England Telephone Company (SNET), which oversaw the building of the state's telephone networks. Designed by Douglas Orr and Roy W. Foote, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. The Eli is located at the junction of Church and Wall Streets in downtown New Haven, one block north of the New Haven Green in the city's commercial business district. It has seventeen stories, and is built out of a steel frame whose exterior is clad mainly in Indiana limestone. A low pink granite wall delineates the property line on Church Street. It rises as a rectangular monolith for thirteen floors, with the upper stories stepped back in stages. The two street-facing facades have two-story entrance pavilions that project. The Art Deco styling includes designs and depictions related to communications, including Classical style human figures wielding lightning bolts. The interior lobby area, also two stories in height, continues these themes, and is richly finished in a variety of materials. The former headquarters of the Southern New England Telephone Company (SNET), the Art Deco building was completed in 1938, and was the tallest building in the city until 1966 (it is currently the tenth-tallest building in New Haven's skyline). Some 1,200 SNET employees worked in the office building after its completion. The company was one of New Haven's largest employers, and was responsible for the growth of the telephone system in the entire state. Beginning in 2004, the building was converted to a luxury apartment building and rechristened "The Eli"; it now is home to 142 apartments and two storefronts. The building is regarded as New Haven's "premier" example of Art Deco architecture, and displays one of the area's most extensive employment of Stony Creek pink granite. National Register of Historic Places listings in New Haven, Connecticut

Location

227 Church St.
New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut
41.30921, -72.92314

Categories

ARCHITECTURECOMMUNICATIONS
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Southern New England Telephone Company Adminstrative Building

This page lists Southern New England Telephone Company Adminstrative Building. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Southern New England Telephone Company Adminstrative Building report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Pinto, William, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
New Haven County Courthouse
Industrial
0.1 mi
Imperial Granum-Joseph Parker Buildings
Industrial
0.1 mi
Cook, John, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
New Haven City Hall
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Raid on New Haven (Connecticut)
1779Revolutionary War
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Southern New England Telephone Company Adminstrative Building listed on the National Register?

Southern New England Telephone Company Adminstrative Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 24, 1997.

What type of historic resource is Southern New England Telephone Company Adminstrative Building?

Southern New England Telephone Company Adminstrative Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Southern New England Telephone Company Adminstrative Building?

The period of significance for Southern New England Telephone Company Adminstrative Building is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Southern New England Telephone Company Adminstrative Building?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Southern New England Telephone Company Adminstrative Building will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in New Haven County

Historic places, battles, and census history across New Haven County.

Explore New HavenCounty ›

More historic places in Connecticut

Browse all historic places in Connecticut.

View Connecticuthistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Connecticut history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Connecticuthistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Southern New England Telephone Company Adminstrative Building will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report