About The Oldest Phone Number In America
The phone number was historically referred to by its old designation PA 6-5000
The history of telephone numbers in America dates back to the late 19th century. The first telephone numbers were used in 1879 in Lowell, Massachusetts, when they replaced the request for subscriber names by callers connecting to the switchboard operator.
The oldest phone number that is still in use is 1-212-736-5000, which was the number for the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City. It was originally assigned to the hotel in the early 1930s and is the longest continually operating phone number in the world.
The phone number (212) 736-5000, historically referred to by its old designation PA 6-5000, served as the main line for the Hotel Pennsylvania. This iconic establishment, located at the corner of Seventh Avenue and 33rd Street, closed down April 1, 2020.The hotel was forced to close as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hotel was demolished in 2023 to make way for an office tower.
The building was torn down to make way for a tower at 15 Penn Plaza. The tower's developer, Steven Roth, said in 2022 that the new building would retain America's oldest phone number (212) 736-5000, although he did not specify how the number would be reassigned.
The number has a rich history, dating back to at least 1930, when seven-digit dialing replaced the earlier five-digit and two-letter formats. It is also famously referenced in the Glenn Miller song of the same name. When calling the number, a brief recording of the song plays for ten seconds before connecting you to an operator.
Pennsylvania 6-5000 was immortalized in a song by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra, harkening back to the days when New York phone numbers used the name of its nearest telephone exchange. The famous number is still in service.
The Telephone Museum states the first use of telephone numbers were at Lowell, Massachusetts. The Lowell Historical Society confirms Dr. Moses Greeley Parker invented telephone numbers in Lowell. The University of Massachusetts Lowell documents that the first city to use telephone numbers was Lowell.
On September 1, 1879, the first telephone exchange with assigned telephone numbers was established in Lowell, making it the earliest instance of a numbered telephone system in the United States.
The first three digits of a telephone number are now the area code, followed by a seven-digit local number. The NANP has been modified several times over the years to accommodate the growth of the telephone network. In 1963, the first area codes were introduced in Canada.
In 1986, the first area codes were introduced in Mexico. In 1994, the NANP was expanded to include the Caribbean. Today, the NANP is used in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. There are currently 867 area codes in the NANP, including 832 area codes in the United States.
Telephone numbers have played an important role in American history. They have helped to connect people across the country and have made it possible for people to communicate quickly and easily. Telephone numbers are now an essential part of American life.
