Potomac Telephone Company building and Odes Elwood Swecker

Built in 1931, this art deco style 8 story high rise commercial office building is built of brick, masonry, and steel. In the early 1970s the building was renovated and 4 additional floors were added to make the building more modernist in style. When that occurred a lot of the detailing from the original building was lost. 

Odes Elwood Swecker was born on the 1 March 1897 in Spring Creek, Rockingham, Virginia, to John William Swecker and Phoebe Jane (Brady) Swecker. His father was superintendent of the sunday school of Spring Creek Methodist Church for 33 years. 

Before he entered the war Swecker attended Bridgewater College and received a B.E. in 1915. After attending Bridgewater College he was a student at the Catholic University of America for one year. He was also a Railroad Agent at the Chesapeake Western Railroad. 

He began his training on April 20, 1917 as a Private in the Infantry of the National Guard in Co. D of the 2nd Virginia Regular Infantry. He did railroad Guard duty from April 1917 to August 1917 then was at Camp McClellan Alabama from August 1917 to June 1918. 

He was in Company D. of the 116th regiment of the 29th division. He was later promoted to a Corporal and a Sergeant Major. He Served in France from June 29th 1918 to May 20th 1919 and was discharged at Camp Lee, Virginia on May 29th 1919.

Upon returning from the war he pursued a course in Electrical Engineering at the Catholic University of America where he had received a scholarship from the Knights of Columbus for his military service. 

After his service in World War I he graduated from the Catholic University of America with a B.S. degree in electrical engineering and in 1929 moved to Charleston, West Virginia to start his career at the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company as an electrical engineer. He worked there from 1930 to 26 June 1959. He was an executive of the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company in the merchandising department for 35 years. He was a member of the Elks Club and Press Club. 

He died on 26 June 1959, in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

“Year Book ...” Google Books. Google. Accessed May 9, 2021. https://books.google.com/books?id=n4NNAAAAYAAJ&lpg=RA3-PA45&ots=p-w__HGCdF&dq=odes+elwood+swecker&pg=RA3-PA45#v=onepage&q&f=false. 

Wayland, Francis F. Bridgewater College: the First Hundred Years, 1880-1980. Bridgewater, VA: Bridgewater College, 1993, 249. 

“Odes E. Swecker Dies in Virginia.” Sunday Gazette-Mail (Charleston, West Virginia), 28 Jun, 1959. 

P., Chris. “Emporis.” EMPORIS. Accessed May 10, 2021. https://www.emporis.com/buildings/127276/at-t-building-charleston-wv-usa. 

“Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company Building in Charleston: High-Rise Building.” Phorio. Accessed May 10, 2021. https://en.phorio.com/chesapeake_and_potomac_telephone_company_building,_charleston,_united_states. 

Virginia War History Commission Series I, 1919-1924. Box 10 Folder 7, State Records Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.