C&P Telephone
Encyclopedia
The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company, usually known as C&P Telephone, was a d/b/a name for four Bell Operating Companies providing service to Washington, D.C.
, Maryland
, West Virginia
, and Virginia
.
Three of the companies are owned by Verizon Communications
:
One company is owned by Frontier Communications:
In July 1969, President Richard Nixon's
telephone call to astronauts on the moon originated from C&P Telephone Co. equipment.
The C&P Telephone Company of Maryland was founded in 1884 as The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of Baltimore City. It changed its name to The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of Maryland on January 3, 1956, and the corporate name at this point changed to C&P Telephone of Maryland.
C&P relaxed its rule against the hiring of African-Americans for white collar
jobs in January 1943 due to labor shortages during World War II, but telephone operator
positions remained racially segregated
until the hiring of Hermie Graham for a position at a C&P office in Govans
in 1974.
The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of Virginia was founded in 1903.
In 2010, operations in Alleghany County
that served customers in Crows
and Hematite
were split from Verizon Virginia and transferred to Frontier Communications of Virginia
, a subsidiary of Frontier Communications.
overhaul, which included the famous Saul Bass
Bell logo, all four companies' names were shortened to C&P Telephone on marketing materials, bills, vehicles, etc.
In 1984, when the Bell System was divided into the Regional Bell Operating Companies
, or "Baby Bells", the C&P Telephone companies became part of Bell Atlantic.
In 1994, Bell Atlantic renamed all of its operating companies. C&P Telephone was renamed:
After Bell Atlantic's merger with GTE in 2000, the system was renamed Verizon, and so were its Bell Operating Companies. C&P Telephone was renamed:
In 2010, Verizon left the West Virginia wireline market entirely, selling Verizon West Virginia to Frontier Communications as part of a major sale of assets. The company was renamed Frontier West Virginia, Inc.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
Three of the companies are owned by Verizon Communications
Verizon Communications
Verizon Communications Inc. is a global broadband and telecommunications company and a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average...
:
- The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company (DC)
- The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of Maryland
- The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of Virginia
One company is owned by Frontier Communications:
- The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of West VirginiaFrontier West VirginiaFrontier West Virginia, Inc. is one of the original Bell Operating Companies and provides local telephone service in West Virginia.-History:...
The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company (DC)
The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company was founded in June 1883. C&P Telephone Co. provided telephone service to Washington, D.C.In July 1969, President Richard Nixon's
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
telephone call to astronauts on the moon originated from C&P Telephone Co. equipment.
The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of Maryland
C&P relaxed its rule against the hiring of African-Americans for white collar
White-collar worker
The term white-collar worker refers to a person who performs professional, managerial, or administrative work, in contrast with a blue-collar worker, whose job requires manual labor...
jobs in January 1943 due to labor shortages during World War II, but telephone operator
Telephone operator
A telephone operator is either* a person who provides assistance to a telephone caller, usually in the placing of operator assisted telephone calls such as calls from a pay phone, collect calls , calls which are billed to a credit card, station-to-station and person-to-person calls, and certain...
positions remained racially segregated
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
until the hiring of Hermie Graham for a position at a C&P office in Govans
Mid-Govans, Baltimore
Mid-Govans is a community in northeast Baltimore, Maryland and part of the development of York Road, a historic Baltimore route to Pennsylvania.-Points of interest:...
in 1974.
The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of Virginia
In 2010, operations in Alleghany County
Alleghany County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,926 people, 5,149 households, and 3,866 families residing in the county. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 5,812 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
that served customers in Crows
Crows, Virginia
Crows is an unincorporated community in Alleghany County, Virginia, United States.-References:*...
and Hematite
Hematite, Virginia
Hematite is an unincorporated community in Alleghany County, Virginia, United States.-References:*...
were split from Verizon Virginia and transferred to Frontier Communications of Virginia
Frontier Communications of Virginia
Frontier Communications of Virginia, Inc. is an operating company created in 2009 to take over operations in Crows, Virginia and Hematite, Virginia Frontier Communications of Virginia, Inc. is an operating company created in 2009 to take over operations in Crows, Virginia and Hematite, Virginia...
, a subsidiary of Frontier Communications.
Changes
After AT&T's 1969 corporate identityCorporate identity
In Corporate Communications, a corporate identity is the "persona" of a corporation which is designed to accord with and facilitate the attainment of business objectives...
overhaul, which included the famous Saul Bass
Saul Bass
Saul Bass was a Jewish-American graphic designer and filmmaker, best known for his design of motion picture title sequences....
Bell logo, all four companies' names were shortened to C&P Telephone on marketing materials, bills, vehicles, etc.
Regional Bell Operating Company
The Regional Bell Operating Companies are the result of United States v. AT&T, the U.S. Department of Justice antitrust suit against the former American Telephone & Telegraph Company . On January 8, 1982, AT&T Corp. settled the suit and agreed to divest its local exchange service operating...
, or "Baby Bells", the C&P Telephone companies became part of Bell Atlantic.
In 1994, Bell Atlantic renamed all of its operating companies. C&P Telephone was renamed:
- Bell Atlantic – Maryland, Inc.
- Bell Atlantic – Virginia, Inc.
- Bell Atlantic – Washington, D.C., Inc.
- Bell Atlantic – West Virginia, Inc.
After Bell Atlantic's merger with GTE in 2000, the system was renamed Verizon, and so were its Bell Operating Companies. C&P Telephone was renamed:
- Verizon Maryland, Inc.
- Verizon Virginia, Inc.
- Verizon Washington, DC, Inc.
- Verizon West Virginia, Inc.
In 2010, Verizon left the West Virginia wireline market entirely, selling Verizon West Virginia to Frontier Communications as part of a major sale of assets. The company was renamed Frontier West Virginia, Inc.