AT&T Indiana Headquarters, Indianapolis

The AT&T Building, located on North Meridian Street in Indianapolis, stands as a significant architectural and historical landmark. Completed in 1932, this 22-story high-rise primarily serves as office space and functions as the headquarters for AT&T in Indiana. It is directly connected to the AT&T 220 Building (formerly AT&T 220 Meridian), which lies to its south.

Originally designed by architect Kurt Vonnegut Sr., the building's history is as remarkable as its structure. The site began as the headquarters for the Central Union Telephone Company in 1907. However, after Indiana Bell acquired Central Union in 1929, it was determined that the existing facility was insufficient for the company’s needs. To avoid disruptions in telephone service, Vonnegut proposed a bold and innovative solution: moving the entire 11,000-ton building.

Between October and November 1930, the building was shifted 52 feet south, rotated 90 degrees, and moved another 100 feet west—all while keeping telephone service uninterrupted. Throughout 30 to 34 days, utilities like gas, heat, electricity, water, and communication lines were carefully adjusted to accommodate the move. This feat remains one of the most extraordinary engineering accomplishments of its time.

The new seven-story headquarters was completed in 1932, and subsequent expansions in the 1940s and 1960s brought the building to its current size and height. The original building that had been moved was demolished in 1963, leaving the AT&T Building as a testament to both architectural ingenuity and Indianapolis’s evolving skyline.