OT - Oldest phone booth I've ever seen

[JohnM]

Yesterday afternoon, Lauri and I went up to the grounds of Cragmont, the old Madison State Hospital (mental hospital) that sits high on a bluff overlooking the city of Madison and a beautiful bend in the Ohio River. The complex of yellow brick and red tile roof buildings was completed in 1910. Only one of the many buildings on the campus is used for its original purpose today. We walked up to the front doors of the magnificent administration building and peered through the glass. In a few moments, a woman came and opened the door and asked if she could help us (we had been spotted on closed circuit TV). I explained that we were admiring the building and she let us come in to look around with the admonition that no cameras were allowed inside. The interior of the building is original right down to the light fixtures and very beautiful. On one wall of the lobby is the oldest telephone booth I have ever seen! The phone inside is a modern push-button payphone, but the booth is solid oak boards, not veneer. The interior walls are covered in finely patterned stamped tin panels (like a tin ceiling) and japanned green. The pull handle to shut the door is white porcelain on brass mounts. The seat is oak. When the door is closed, the switch still activates the light to come on. I looked it over for a brand plate, but did not see one. I figured many of us phono people are interested in early telephony, too, and this was hands-down the oldest telephone booth I have ever seen. PS, I don't know what 'LEED Certified' means in the image I swiped from the internet. The admin building is the obvious one in the center.

John M

[EdisonSquirrel]

LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Certification is granted by the Green Buildings Council for buildings that incorporate environmental standards in their construction or renovation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership ... tal_Design

Rocky

[JohnM]

Then I'm all for it! Thanks Rocky! John M

[phonophan79]

Well, a quick google search of the oldest phone booth is claimed by...

Salmo, BC (British Columbia - Canada)
The Salmo Hotel was built in 1912 and restored to its original splendour in 1981. Salmo also boasts the world's largest penny and the world's oldest phone booth. This phone booth was carved out of the trunk of a grand old cedar tree that is approximately 500 years old.

Couldn't find any pictures tho.

[JohnM]

Well, a quick google search of the oldest phone booth is claimed by...

Salmo, BC (British Columbia - Canada)
The Salmo Hotel was built in 1912 and restored to its original splendour in 1981. Salmo also boasts the world's largest penny and the world's oldest phone booth. This phone booth was carved out of the trunk of a grand old cedar tree that is approximately 500 years old.

Couldn't find any pictures tho.

Reminds me of the time I was at a garage sale in California and a woman was selling off her Dad's stuff and his hobby was lapidary. I picked up an interesting rock specimen and the lady exclaimed, "Oh! That rock is really old!"

DUH! LOL!

John M