Patrick Schlott is now a full-time engineer for BETA Technologies, an electric airplane manufacturing company. He’s taken on a pretty radical side project to reactivate historic pay phones in his community. Recognizing the need for reliable communication in areas with poor cell service, Schlott has installed these phones for public use, offering them free of charge. This new project seeks to close that communication gap for people who don’t own a mobile phone. Most importantly, it enables students to connect with their parents after school.
For the last five months, Schlott has been sourcing rusty old pay telephones from flea markets, internet classifieds, and government auctions. Through this basement workshop he refurbished the pay phones. In return, he has built a network that has greatly benefited the local community. The acquisition price for these pay phones ranges from $100 to $500. She doesn’t let that stop her from keeping the service alive, personally paying the monthly costs for the phones ($2 to $3 per phone line), with each call costing under $5.
You may know Schlott as the operator for each phone, answering or directing calls when users dial zero. He utilizes an app to ensure his personal cellphone number isn’t public. That way, his phone rings every time someone is to judgingly offer assistance. Since their installation these pay phones have received 370 calls total, further proving their positive impact on the community.
“I realized, wow, there’s no cell service for 10 miles in either direction,” said Schlott, explaining the impetus behind his project. Through his work, he has been successful in addressing language access barriers and improving communication. They’ve sparked curiosity within their communities as residents clamored to see similar installations placed in their hometowns. Deploying free public phones Plans are underway to add a second free phone at the Brownell Library in Essex. We’re working toward further installations at the Latham Library in Thetford and an informational kiosk in Randolph just off Interstate 89.
Schlott’s artistic contribution to… well, everywhere, has been profound. It has been particularly helpful for students who historically relied on informal school networks to connect them to ride-hail pick-ups. Lois Gross, a local resident and parent, expressed her support: “It does make me feel safer if the kids are out and about, that if they had an emergency up this way that they could stop and use this. I think these are a great service.”
Schlott’s new place-making initiative has been met with fascination and enthusiasm by the residents. Mike Gross shared his experience: “Everyone’s pretty surprised, and they’re like, ‘Is that a real payphone? Does that really work?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, but it doesn’t cost any money now.’”
Reflecting on the nostalgia of using a pay phone, Schlott remarked, “It’s cool to see something retro that has that old-school appeal but works. To actually hear it ring, to pick it up and have a dial tone, I think there’s real power in that.” He pointed out that every call taken so far has been from people who have been proactive in seeking assistance and establishing connection.
Schlott’s training as an electrical engineer has given him the expertise to fix and restore these one-of-a-kind machines. He’s spent thousands of hours truly experimenting with both the new tech and antique tech. Ultimately, through the process, he found his passion and the ability to leverage it to make a meaningful impact on his rural community.
