Crusty Old Joe's Place

The Norfolk & Carolina Telephone & Telegraph Companies

Central offices of the Norfolk & Carolina Telephone & Telegraph Companies of NC & VA

Headquarters building and toll center for the companies. Part of Historic Elizabeth City. Oversized brick utility building with yellow-brick veneer main façade. The plain structure stretches west to Cobb and south to Fearing covering more than half a block. The Road Street facade c1903 is the oldest part with many additions over the years, the most recent being the corner of Cobb and Fearing closest to the microwave tower built c1975. Earlier, the street level of the Road Street facade was open storefronts with the customer business office and a Western Union office. The center door opens onto a staircase which leads directly upstairs to the operator's room which is behind the side windows to the left. The upper windows were the operator's break room and an office. Operators were still there in 1980 but that function was moved to Rocky Mount around that time as N&CT&T had been sold to Carolina Telephone, United System, in 1978. That was the site of the Cook home. The Cooks owned and operated a bank on Main St. (Hill's Confectionary in later years). Upon the death of Mr. & Mrs. Cook the property transferred to L. C. Guirkin (an in-law) who rented the home out to the City of Elizabeth City for it's municipal offices. The City rented the property for several years but later moved it's offices to the YMCA building on Main St. After the City vacated the house it was rented to Norfolk & Carolina Telephone & Telegraph Company, who's offices were formally located on Fearing Street. After renting the property for some time, Norfolk & Carolina Telephone & Telegraph Company purchased the property from Mr. Guirkin on September 24, 1925. Shortly after purchasing the property the Telephone Company demolished the house and built the building in question. The exact year of construction I don't know but probably between 1926 and 1930.

North Carolina Central Offices and other significant sites:

Virginia Central Offices and other significant sites:

Chesapeake, VERIZON SOUTH INC.-VA (CONTEL)

• N&CT&T = Norfolk & Carolina Telephone & Telegraph Companies
• CT&T = Carolina Telephone & Telegraph Co. (United then Sprint)
• MW = microwave
• OW = open wire
• CA = cable pairs
• N = type N carrier, analog on cable
• X carrier = made by Panhandle Electrical Equipment Co. (transistorized)
• TPL = Terminal Per Line, a party-line connector switch taking the last 3 digits. (453-2221 and 453-2220 would be parties on the same line.)
• EAS = Extended area service (there were four areas:
  • Metro: All N&CT&T except Dare Co.
  • Upper Dare Co., Manteo and KDH
  • Lower Dare Co., All of Hatteras Is.
  • Gatesville (CT&T), Welch, Piney Woods and Sunbury.

A portion of North Carolina split off into area code 252 on 03-22-1998 as detailed below. Not mentioned in this official record are the counties of Chowan, Pasquotank, Camden, Currituck and Perquimans which are all north of Albemarle Sound. Odd?

from 
http://www.quentinsagerconsulting.com

Area Code 252
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type General Purpose
Usage Geographic
Location North Carolina
Country United States  
Coverage Eastern portion of North Carolina, 
includes the counties of Carteret, Dare, Hyde, Pamlico, 
Beaufort, Craven, Jones, Lenoir, Greene, Wilson, Pitt, Nash, Vance, 
Warren, Halifax, Northampton, Hertford, Martin, Bertie, Washington
Time Zone ET   
Dialing Plan - Call Originating in NPA 252
Local Terminating to NPA 252, 7D 
Terminating outside NPA 252, 10D
Toll Terminating to NPA 252, 1+10D 
Terminating outside NPA 252, 1+10D  
Parent NPA919
Overlay No
Jeopardy No 
Assigned Yes
Assignable Yes
Reserved No
In Service Yes
Date 03-22-1998
Planning Letter PL-114 PL-112