Then and Now #20 - People's Telephone Exchange Company

📍 The People's Telephone Exchange Building, located at 610 Webster 📞🏢 and built around 1908–1909 🏗️, was, as its name suggests, originally used as the hub of Chillicothe's telephone network 🔌📡 for a time. The building itself is fairly modest 🧱 but clearly well made, with brick detailing around the cornice 🧱 and stone slabs 🪨 above the windows 🪟. 📰 The history of the telephone exchange seems to have gone relatively undocumented 📚. Based on available information from newspapers at the time 🗞️, the first telephone exchange in Chillicothe was set up around the late 1880s or early 1890s 📆, with an individual by the name of M. Jarret being an early manager of the system 👤📞. It's not clear where in town the exchange was set up ❓🏙️. It is noted that the exchange is one of only a few in the country not wholly owned by the Bell Telephone Company. 📞 Within the following decades, it seems that at least two separate telephone exchanges existed in town 🔀📡. Eventually though, the "People's Telephone Exchange" won out 🏆 and subsequently constructed this building 🏢. By around 1919 📆, the building was listed as Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. 🏛️📇 By the mid 20th century 🕰️, it was no longer the telephone exchange but cycled through various beauty supply stores 💇💅. In the 2010s 📅, the building had a sign reading "Family Hair Care Clinic" 🏷️🏥. Until recently, the building had fallen into bad condition ⚠️ but a change in ownership 🔁 and recent remodeling 🛠️ has brought some new life 🌱✨ to this old structure.

Historic Photo from Livingston County Library archives. Current picture courtesy of J.T. Baysinger June 18, 2025.