Its construction in 1925 marked the beginning of the era of long distance trunk lines in telephone communication.

His background designing banks is reflected in the customer service areas that dominates the first floor, and his experience designing industrial buildings in reinforced concrete, is reflected the upper floors where the telephone exchanges were housed.

The building is constructed in the Moderne style of brick with limestone used on the first and fourteenth floors.

Philadelphia was a key location in this development, being about halfway between New York City and Washington, D.C., and being the departure point for the trunk line to Chicago, which followed the Pennsylvania Railroad's Main Line westward.

In 1970, the long distance exchanges were moved to a modern facility, the building was renovated as telephone company offices, and air conditioning was installed.