Pacific Telephone Microwave Tower

 United States > California > Los Angeles County > Los Angeles

---

The Pacific Telephone Microwave Tower, as seen from Olive and 5th streets on February 28, 1963. Present on Olive Street are the San Carlos Hotel and the First German United Methodist Church, foreground. On the far right is a glimpse of the sign for the Philharmonic Auditorium. John B. and Donald D. Parkinson built the 448-foot, 17-floor Pacific Telephone Microwave Tower, located at 420 S. Grand Avenue, in 1961. The top of the building is a microwave tower that was used from 1961-1963. Today, known as the PacBell Tower, it serves 1.3 million phone lines in the 213 area code for foreign long distance calls. The office buildings for the telphone company at this location is known as the Madison Complex. The Philharmonic Auditorium was later demolished and replaced with a parking lot. The First German Methodist Church and the San Carlos Hotel were later demolished and replaced with the headquarters for the Southern California Gas Company.