You would never know this small Farmers House would play an important part in providing phone service to farmers in Northern Allegheny and Butler County Pa.

I once was called to do some electrical work in a old but well kept Farm House that sits down off  along Pa.910 in Gibsonia Pa. which has a very interesting history.

Did you ever watch Green Acres or Mayberry RFD  or similar TV show there was always the lady who answered the phone after the caller picked up the ear piece and turned the crank on the old phone.

Well thats exactly what this house once did. When the Bell Telephone System decided to not provide phone service far north of Pittsburgh a bunch of  business men got together in 1906 and started their own. It was known as  North Pittsburgh Phone Service and it took in parts of Northern Allegheny and Southern Butler County and this home acted as the first switch board .

At one time depending what side of Pa. Route 8 you where on you got a discount on your phone service in the rural areas . I had a customer on the wrong side always complained about the servvice he got and rate and he got mad and actually leased phone lines from the Bell Telephone System  so he had a Pittsburgh exchange phone number. 

http://www.phworld.org/nptco/about.htm

Now known as Consolidated Communications since various sales and mergers North Pittsburgh phone still carry's on. 

I only knew about the history of the house after working in it and the then  owner telling me about it. he sold it to a new couple . The current operations of North Pittsburgh are across the road . Sadly the house has been remodeled several times and nothing of the original exchange is left to see  not even any wiring its a shame knowing the history of it. There are some old pictures floating around from its heyday I am told but I have not been able to locate them  but an old Pittsburgh North Employee verified my customers story about the house.
The famous Harmony  Trolley also passed close by at one time as well but nothing of it is left as well except some memorabilia . which is a shame how different it was back then. Kids today have no idea the struggles of living in rural areas a hundred years ago.