<p>The Agua Dulce Mountains are a mountain range in the north-central Sonoran Desert of southwestern Arizona. The range is located in the extreme southwestern portion of Pima County, Arizona, immediately north of the international boundary with Mexico and about 30 miles southwest of Ajo, Arizona. The range has three main sections that total about 15 miles in length and about nine miles in width. The range is located entirely within the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge. The highpoint of the range is 2,852 feet  above sea level and is located at 32°0132"N, 113°0844"W . The summit is unnamed, but is marked on USA Geological Survey  maps for the "Quitovaquita" benchmark that was placed on the summit in 1920. The original surveyed height was 2,850 feet above sea level, but recent datum adjustments calculate the summit to be two feet higher.</p><br>
<p>The name of the range has been in use for at least 100 years, though it has been called the "Sierra del Ojo" and the "Sonoyta Mountains" on some older maps. A map created by the USA Army Corps of Engineers around 1920 labeled the range the "Quitovaquita Mountains." This is in reference to Quitobaquito Springs, which lie approximately nine miles southeast of the range in what are now called the Quitobaquito Hills. The Quitobaquito Hills, however, do not share a connection with the Agua Dulce Mountains. "Agua Dulce" means "sweet water" in Spanish and refers to pools of non-saline water on the Sonoyta River several miles to the south in Mexico. These pools are in contrast to "Agua Salada," which is located further downstream on the river and yields only highly mineralized and brackish water. The range also contains a small spring on its southern slope that also bears the name Agua Dulce, though it is likely that the range is named for the pools on the river rather than the spring, since the pools played prominently in the history of the area whereas the spring is small and well away from the historical Sonoyta River travel corridor.</p><br>
<p>The range is home to a number of abandoned mines, most notably the Papago Mine and the Legal Tender Mine, which were worked in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Papago Well was drilled nearby during the same period to provide water to the mines. Later the well was used to provide water to cattle that grazed in the area, and now the windmill pumps water to a guzzler for wildlife. The Davidson Canyon area and the associated bajada to the south of the range contain the northernmost populations of senita cactus (Pachycereus schottii). This columnar cactus is very common further south in Mexico, but in the United States it is restricted to small areas of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and this isolated population in the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge.</p><br>
<p>The 50 United Nations Plaza Federal Office Building is a United States federal building located on United Nationss Plaza between Hyde and McAllister Streets in San Francisco, California. The 1936 Neoclassical style building, designed by Arthur Brown, Jr., is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a contributing property to the San Francisco Civic Center Historic District, which is a National Historic Landmark.</p><br>
<h2>Building</h2><br>
<p>In 1906, a major earthquake decimated San Francisco and destroyed more than 28,000 buildings, many as a result of subsequent fires. As the city rebuilt, it adopted a plan for a civic center, first developed in 1899 by English architect B.J.S. Cahill, to consolidate government buildings in a central location. The last building completed for the San Francisco Civic Center, the Federal Building was a critical component of the seven-building complex that included government buildings, a library, and an opera house. The Civic Center design incorporates City Beautiful planning, a concept that relies on Beaux Arts design principles and classically inspired, monumental architecture. San Franciscos Civic Center is one of the nations most successful examples of the City Beautiful movement.</p><br>
<p>In 1927, the government allocated $2.5 million for the Federal Buildings design and construction, although final costs reached a total of $3 million. San Francisco city officials donated a site in 1930. Architect Arthur Brown, Jr. designed the building, which was constructed between 1934 and 1936, under the auspices of Supervising Architect of the Treasury Louis A. Simon. Brown studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, the worlds preeminent architectural school, graduating in 1901. He was the sole architect of the Federal Building, as well as the Opera House and Veterans Building, both significant components of the Civic Center. Brown and his partner John Bakewell, Jr. designed City Hall, a 1915 Beaux Arts architectural masterpiece. Also located within the Civic Center, the City Hall commission established the partners&#39; careers.</p><br>
<p>In 1975, construction commenced on United Nations Plaza, designed by noted landscape architect Lawrence Halprin and located next to the Federal Building. The one-acre pedestrian area was named to honor the establishment of the U.N., which occurred in the Veterans Building on June 26, 1945. The Federal Building is a contributing element to the San Francisco Civic Center, which the Secretary of the Interior designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. The building was vacated in 2007 after a new federal building was constructed in San Francisco. The USA General Services Administration (GSA) took over the building in 2013 after its renovation.</p><br>
<h3>Architecture</h3><br>
<p>The Federal Building is an excellent example of Second Renaissance Revival architecture, displaying style-defining features such as distinct horizontal divisions, a rusticated base, and classical ornamentation including columns on the exterior elevations. The building occupies the block bounded by United Nations Plaza, and Hyde, McAllister, and Leavenworth streets. It has a rectangular footprint with an interior courtyard that allows natural light into the interior. The six-story steel frame is encased in fireproof concrete with concrete flooring and roof slabs, features that officials and architects agreed were important precautions after the fires resulting from the 1906 earthquake. The street elevation walls are constructed of brick but faced with granite, with the exception of a section of the McAllister Street elevation, which is faced in terra cotta.</p><br>
<p>At the first two stories, the granite is rusticated to articulate the base of the building. The upper stories of the south facade, which faces United Nations Plaza, are covered with smooth-faced granite and dominated by a colonnade of detached two-story Doric columns that are aligned with Doric pilasters on the building. A classical balustrade supports the railing between the columns. Fenestration consists primarily of regularly spaced rectangular windows with multi-pane configurations. The attic story is set back from the wall plane of the building and is surrounded by a classical balustrade and topped by a molded cornice.</p><br>
<p>The main entrance, consisting of three arched openings, is located at the center of the south elevation. The central arch is topped by a keystone that contains a medallion with a carved shield motif, while the flanking arches each are topped by a medallion featuring an eagle holding olive branches. Secondary entrances are located on the southeast and southwest corners of the building, where the meeting points of the exterior walls have been designed as concave arc configurations. Round arches with ornate medallions placed on the keystones also mark these entrances, and Doric porticos are located above the second story of the corners. Male and female mascarons (carved faces) adorn the exterior. The carvings sport different horticulturally themed headpieces, including corn, wheat, cat tails, and oak leaves. The hipped roof is covered with light grey lead-coated copper.</p><br>
<p>The main entrance vestibule and first-floor lobby are the most grand and richly detailed interior spaces in the building. The terrazzo flooring features a marble border. Grey marble wainscot, rising to a height of more than twenty-seven feet, covers the walls. Above the wainscot, the cast-stone walls spring into the barrel vaulted ceiling, which features molded hexagonal, rectangular, and diamond-shaped decorative coffers and shell motifs. A detailed cornice and doorway surmounted with a triangular pediment add to the classically inspired design of the entry spaces.</p><br>
<p>Cast-stone arches separate the first-floor elevator lobby from the corridors. The original bronze elevator doors remain and bronze is also used on other historic elements of the elevator lobby, including a mailbox, clocks, telephone booths, and building directory and bulletin board frames. The lobby leads to an internal courtyard that is open to the sky. Walkways are interspersed with trees, shrubbery, and groundcover plantings.</p><br>
<p>Several significant interior spaces remain intact. The former Board Room for the USA Navy is located on the second floor. Paneled wainscot covers the lower portions of walls, while the upper areas are plaster. The former office of the General Inspector, Supply Corps is a rectangular room with rounded corners. Double-leaf French doors admit natural light and lead to an exterior balcony. A wood and plaster cornice tops the walls. The former Collector of Internal Revenue office contains a similar cornice and paneled wood wainscot covers the walls.</p><br>
<p>Another important interior space is the former naval Commandant&#39;s Suite, a circular ceremonial room, twenty feet in diameter, with adjacent offices, restroom, dressing room, and waiting room. The parquet oak floor contains a centrally placed USA Navy seal. An original fireplace with an ornate verde antique marble Rococo-style mantel remains in the room.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>In 1977, after frustration that the secretary of the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare had delayed signing regulations implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 for four years, disability rights protestors marched to this federal building and began a sit-in that became a 26-day occupation. The sit-in was led by Judith Heumann and organized by Kitty Cone. More than 150 demonstrators refused to disband; this action was the longest sit-in at a federal building to date. Joseph Califano signed the regulations on April 28, 1977.</p><br>
<p>In 1985, when the renamed United States Department of Health and Human Services was in this building, protestors with AIDS and AIDS-related complex chained themselves to the door of the building to demand that the USA government increase funding for AIDS-related research, care, and social services. They stayed for weeks and began the AIDS/ARC Vigil, which was an encampment that stayed for ten years (until 1995).</p><br>
<h3>Significant events</h3><br>
<p>1927: Congress approves $2.5 million for new San Francisco Federal Building</p><br>
<p>1930: City of San Francisco donates site for building</p><br>
<p>1934–1936: Building constructed</p><br>
<p>1975: United Nations Plaza construction commences</p><br>
<p>1987: San Francisco Civic Center designated a National Historic Landmark</p><br>
<p>2007: Building vacated</p><br>
<p>2017: Building added to National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Nag Tibba , 3,022 m, is the highest peak in the lesser himalayan region of Uttarakhand state , and lends its name to the Nag Tibba Range, itself the next-northerly of the five folds of the Himalaya. It is situated 16 km away from Landour cantonment, and around 57 km from Mussoorie in Tehri Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. The Nag Tibba Range&#39; is amongst three principal ranges of the Lesser Himalayas, which includes the Dhauladhar, and the Pir Panjal, which branched off from the Great Himalayas</p><br>
<h2>Importance</h2><br>
<p>It is believed to be the abode of Nag Devta or God of Snakes, from which it borrows the first part of its name; Tibba is a local word for hill or peak. Local villagers come here to offer their prayers to Nag Devta for the protection of their cattle. This place is frequented by trekkers and adventure lovers for its scenic beauty and is at elevation of 3048 meters. Winters are chilly and summers are pleasant, making it an attractive place for camping. The place can be reached from Dehradun via road. There are three ways to do this trek one route from Devalsari and the other from Shrikot, Pantwari.</p><br>
<h2>Trek</h2><br>
<p>Nagtibba means place or abode of the Snake God. It has a beautiful temple on the top, and a little over, one can see entire Bandarpoonch ranges of Great Indian Himalayas towards the Yumnotri side.</p><br>
<p>The trek to Nag Tibba starts from Devalsari where one can stay in the Forest Guest House by obtaining permission from the Mussoorie Forest office. Another way to reach Nag Tibba is from Shrikot,some 110km from Dehradun the trek is short from Shrikot compared to Pantwari and Devalsari and one can trek a further 5 km to Nag tibba top which offers a panoramic view of the Himalayas. Compared to it, from Shrikot the trek is only 6-7 km till the temple on the top. No accommodation is available at the place. The trail from Shrikot is clearly marked till the temple. The trek is easy to moderate level and take about 3-4 hours to reach the temple.Pantwari, some 100 km from Dehradun. The trek is short from Pantwari compared to Devalsari. Nag tibba is around 13 km from Devalsari and one can trek a further 3 km to Nag tibba top which offers a panoramic view of the Himalayas. Compared to it, from Pantwari the trek is only 7-8 km till the temple on the top. No accommodation is available at the place. The trail from Pantwari is clearly marked till the temple. The trek is easy to moderate level and take about 5-6 hours to reach the temple.</p><br>
<p>Overnight stay with camping gear is recommended for trekkers because there is no accommodation at the place. The nearest accommodation is Devalsari guest house (if you go via Devalsari). A day trek is the other option, but is very arduous. An important thing to note is that water is scarce along the route and is usually carried by the trekkers.</p><br>
<h2>Access</h2><br>
<p>To reach Devalsari take a direct jeep. Alternatively, take any bus or jeep going down the Tehri Road and get off at Suwakholi (10 km east). The side-road to Thatyur starts here; take the first jeep going that way (21 km north).All eastbound buses/jeeps leave Mussoorie from the Community Hospital on Tehri Road,and road is constructed.</p><br>
<p>The Federal Building and United States Custom House, Denver, Colorado is a historic courthouse and federal office building located at Denver, Colorado. It is a courthouse for the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>The Federal Building and USA Custom House is part of a complex of four federal buildings located in close proximity to each other in downtown Denver, the others being the Byron G. Rogers Federal Building and USA Courthouse, the Byron White USA Courthouse, and the Alfred A. Arraj USA Courthouse.</p><br>
<p>The federal government acquired the site, which was previously home to the East Denver High School, in three parcels between 1928 and 1930 for just under $300,000. The building replaced Denver&#39;s overcrowded 1892 custom house, located at another location in the city.</p><br>
<p>Designs for the original portion of the building, completed in 1931, came from the Office of the Supervising Architect of the USA Treasury, which at that time was led by James A. Wetmore. Both this building and the nearby Byron White USA Courthouse are clad in the same Colorado Yule marble used in the Lincoln Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington, D.C. Indiana limestone was originally planned for cladding the building, and would have been less expensive. However, members of Congress from Colorado successfully argued for use of local materials. The building was completed in May 1931 at a total cost of $1,260,000.</p><br>
<p>A 1937 addition nearly doubled the size of the building. Denver architects Temple Hoyne Buell and G. Meredith Musick designed the addition. The cladding material was once again controversial. In this case, Colorado Yule marble was substituted for Georgia marble after local officials successfully argued that the materials of the original building and addition should match, and that the revenue from the marble purchase should benefit Colorado.</p><br>
<p>Though it housed various federal agencies, the building&#39;s primary occupant was the USA Customs Service. Its revenues averaged $500,000 per year, and eventually climbed to $1,400,000 in 1957. In need of more space, the Customs Service moved to the former Stapleton Airport in 1957. The major building tenant is now the bankruptcy court. The building has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1979.</p><br>
<p>During the 1960s and 1970s, protesters often used the USA Courthouse plaza across the street. In 1975, a bomb exploded in a first floor men&#39;s room of the building, but there was no significant structural damage. A group calling themselves the Continental Revolutionary Army took credit for the bombing.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The five-story Federal Building and USA Custom House is a skillfully executed example of Second Renaissance Revival architecture. The arched first floor window and door openings, detailed cornices, emphasis on the horizontal elements, and stately overall appearance of the building are all characteristic of this architectural style. It has a steel frame on poured concrete footings and a flat composite roof. The base is clad in granite, as are the stairs leading to the entry doors. The remainder of the Nineteenth, Stout, and California street elevations of the building are clad in smooth-rubbed, coarse cut Colorado Yule marble with terra-cotta ornamentation. The fifth floor, which is recessed eight feet, is clad in brick, as are the courtyard-facing elevations of the building.</p><br>
<p>Marble quoins (cornerstones) highlight the transition from marble to brick facade. Terracotta is used for a belt course above the first floor, cornices, and spandrels between the windows of the second and third, and third and fourth stories. Decorative terra cotta swags are located above the ornamental grillwork that flanks the main entry door. The symmetrical plan is E-shaped with a semi-enclosed courtyard at the north end. The windows are spaced evenly and are designed to create a balanced overall look for the building. The tops of the first floor windows and the main entry doorway are arched. Spandrels that separate the second, third, and fourth story windows feature eagles and shields, emphasizing the federal use of the building. The primary entrance is on Nineteenth Street at the midpoint of the south elevation, and a penthouse is located above this central point that rises twenty feet above the parapet coping (decorative capping at the top of the wall).</p><br>
<p>The centered main entry is the focal point of the exterior. In 1972, the original bronze entry doors were removed and replaced with aluminum doors. A terracotta eagle tops a semicircular fanlight above the doorway. Tuscan order columns flanking the entrance support an entablature inscribed with the name of the building and capped by a decorative cartouche.</p><br>
<p>In the lobby, polished Colorado Yule marble surrounds the doors leading from the vestibule and clads the lower portion of the walls on either side of those doors. It also surrounds the elevators and extends for several feet on either side of the elevators, covering the lower portion of the walls. Only one of the light fixtures, which have oval etched-glass domes suspended within brass frameworks and hanging from the ceiling via brass chains, is original; the others were replicated. The bronze and leaded glass doors between the vestibule and the lobby were recently restored. Glass panes allow light to flood the lobby and the bronze surrounds and details reinforce the stately appearance of the building. There are staircases with marble treads at each end of the corridors leading off of the lobby. The layout of each floor of the building is identical, with offices lining each corridor. The wainscoting and baseboards are all marble, as are the bathroom partitions in the 1931 portion of the building.</p><br>
<p>The 1937 addition resulted in extensions to each side of the building that nearly doubled the area and made the central courtyard less visible from the street. Additional penthouses were added at the California and Stout Street ends of the building to house the upper portions of the elevator shafts. The corridors and lobby areas are largely intact, though the offices were modified.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>1931: Original building constructed</p><br>
<p>1937: Construction of addition</p><br>
<p>1975: Bomb explodes on first floor</p><br>
<p>1979: Building listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Location: 721 Nineteenth Street</p><br>
<p>Architects: James A. Wetmore; Temple H. Buell with G. Meredith Musick</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1930-1931; 1937</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Second Renaissance Revival</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Granite, marble, and brick</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Classical marble and terracotta facade; Bronze-framed double entry doors; Marble wainscoting, oak doors and trim</p><br>
<p>The William R. Cotter Federal Building is a historic post office, courthouse, and federal office building located at 135-149 High Street in Hartford, Connecticut. It was the courthouse for United States District Court for the District of Connecticut until 1963.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>In 1882, the federal government completed construction of Hartford&#39;s first permanent post office building. By the 1920s, however, Hartford residents were campaigning for a new postal building to replace the overcrowded Second Empire-style structure. In 1928, the government selected a site for the new building, and two years later contracted the local architectural firm of Malmfeldt, Adams, & Prentice to design the building. Although the Public Buildings Act of 1926 authorized the Office of the Supervising Architect of the USA Treasury to hire private architects to design federal buildings, the Hartford project was one of the few times that the Act was actually invoked.</p><br>
<p>Construction commenced in 1931. On April 14, 1932, citizens and officials gathered for a cornerstone laying ceremony, and construction was completed the following year. The new building originally served as a post office, courthouse, and office building. It is one of Hartford&#39;s most notable examples of the Neoclassical architectural style, which was commonly used for public buildings during the early twentieth century. Architectural Forum cited the building as an example for private architects to follow when completing Public Works Administration commissions.</p><br>
<p>Major interior renovations to the federal building occurred in 1964 and 1978 after the courts and post office vacated the location. In 1982, the federal government renamed the building to honor Congressman William R. Cotter, who represented the First District of Connecticut from 1971 until his death in 1981. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 and currently houses various federal offices.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The William R. Cotter Federal Building is an excellent example of Neoclassical architecture. The architects adopted traditional classical architectural forms while abandoning excessive interior ornament in favor of Art Decos more stylized decorative components. The building conveys the federal governments dignity and stability, an ideology that was particularly important during the Great Depression.</p><br>
<p>The three-story federal building is situated on a trapezoidal block bounded by High and South Church streets and Foot Guard and Hoadley places in downtown Hartford. The building fills the entire block with its irregular footprint. However, a light court occupies the second and third stories, admitting natural light into the interior. The exterior has remained largely intact since the building&#39;s completion in 1933.</p><br>
<p>The steel-frame building rests on a granite foundation. The exterior is faced with Indiana limestone panels. The facade, which faces High Street, consists of a three-story central block flanked by pavilions. Limestone pilasters separate each bay on the central section, which features a projecting cornice topped with decorative cresting. Aluminum spandrels divide each story&#39;s casement windows, and spandrels between the first and second stories contain American eagle motifs. Simple recessed panels separate the second and third stories. Projecting pavilions, each containing two modified, Corinthian order columns, frame the two principal entrances located at each end of the High Street elevation. Wisconsin black marble surrounds the entryways. A curved terrace, enclosed by a granite-and-iron balustrade, stretches between the granite entrance steps. Armillary spheres, representing celestial order, are located at each end of the balustrade.</p><br>
<p>A frieze above the facade&#39;s third story bears a six-line, two-part inscription that alludes to postal service duties. The quotation is divided by low-relief figures on horse-back transferring a message, recalling the Pony Express and early postal delivery methods. Aluminum eagles with uplifted wings perch at each end of the cornice.</p><br>
<p>Interior spaces are richly ornamented. On the first floor, a principal corridor connects two main lobbies. The lobbies and corridor have their original black terrazzo flooring inlaid with decorative borders and patterns. Most notably, one panel contains Hartford&#39;s symbol, which is a hart, or stag, crossing water. Flat panels of polished, Ross Curley Gray Tennessee marble cover the walls and are placed above a red marble base. The first-floor vaulted ceiling is painted blue with metallic gold stars. Aluminum, half-spherical and pendant light fixtures descend from the ceiling. Stylized ornamentation includes chevrons and Greek key patterns.</p><br>
<p>The corridor contains original, Art Deco-style, interior finishes. Each end of the corridor floor is inset with a brass-and-terrazzo panel with an envelope motif. Pairs of engaged black marble columns with aluminum ribs and stylized Doric order capitals flank two murals at each end of the corridor. The murals, painted in 1934 by the Barker Painting Company of New York, depict the eastern and western hemispheres. A decorative frieze lines the top of the corridor walls. The corridor ceiling contains recessed, framed beams bearing medallions with depictions of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Abraham Lincoln.</p><br>
<p>The two original stairs are adjacent to the two first-floor elevator lobbies. The stairs are made of black soapstone treads and a decorative, aluminum railing. In select locations, the building contains original three-paneled, aluminum doors decorated with stars.</p><br>
<p>Although the federal building has accommodated various functions, it has been continuously occupied since its completion. However, these changes in use resulted in major interior renovations. Most notably, galleries and other postal features were removed when the spaces were transformed into office areas. The corridors, stairwells, and bathrooms retain historic features and finishes.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1931 - 1933: Building constructed</p><br>
<p>1962: Federal courts vacate the building</p><br>
<p>1977: USA Postal Service vacates the building</p><br>
<p>1981: Building listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>1982: Building renamed to honor Connecticut Congressman William R. Cotter</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Location: 135 High Street</p><br>
<p>Architects: Malmfeldt, Adams, & Prentice</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1931 - 1933</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Neoclassical</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Granite; Limestone; Marble</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Monumental Entrances at Corners of Facade; Stylized Art-Deco Motifs; Lobby with Original Aluminum, Marble, and Terrazzo Finishes</p><br>
<p>The Richard C. Lee United States Courthouse is a monumental courthouse of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, located on the east side of the New Haven Green. Built between 1913 and 1919, the structure was spared from a planned demolition in the 1960s, and instead renovated to continue its useful life. For many decades, it also served as a post office, although the post office moved to another location in 1979. It is an excellent example of Classical Revival architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>In 1910, landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. and architect Cass Gilbert, two of the most prominent designers working in America at the time, produced a city planning document for New Haven. They advised that the style, materials, and scale of the new courthouse and post office should respect the character of existing public buildings around the Green. James Gamble Rogers designed the building to achieve those goals, and it was constructed between 1913 and 1919. Rogers was also the architect for structures at Yale University, his alma mater. The building was the last to be designed under the auspices of the Tarsney Act (1890 - 1912), which allowed the United States Treasury Department to hire private architects rather than use only designers employed by the federal government. A cornerstone dedication ceremony was held in 1914. Former President William Howard Taft, then a professor at Yale Law School, spoke at the event, and the text of his speech was placed in the cornerstone, along with other mementos.</p><br>
<p>The courthouse was slated for demolition in the 1960s as part of an urban renewal plan. However, a coalition of federal judges and local historic preservationists rallied to save it. After much negotiation, the landmark was restored in the early 1980s at a cost of $7.3 million. Although some interior spaces were modified, the restoration respected the original character, and many historic components remain intact. In 1998, the building was renamed to honor Richard C. Lee, a former New Haven mayor who was a pivotal figure in the buildings preservation as well as the citys revitalization.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The Classical Revival architecture style of architecture chosen for the Richard C. Lee USA Courthouse was commonly used for federal building design during the early twentieth century, because officials believed it conveyed the dignity of the federal government. The courthouse displays several hallmarks of the style, including the colossal portico (entrance porch with columns) and pediment (triangular gable end). The columns have Corinthian capitals with carved eagles and leaves. Niches flank the portico. The exterior of the building is clad in Tennessee marble, and the exterior stairs are pink Milford granite. Bronze window sashes, grilles, and the revolving doors provide contrast to the pale gray exterior.</p><br>
<p>Important citizens in New Haven&#39;s history inspired the inscriptions on the exterior. The frieze contains words from a sermon delivered by Reverend John Davenport in 1639: "Wisdom hath builded her house; she hath hewn out her seven pillars" (a quote from Proverbs). Davenport was referring to the seven men who were selected to serve as the first General Court, and their names are inscribed on the building. The upper walls of the interior light court were incised with the names of five other prominent New Haven citizens and three military heroes. A carved band tops the building and includes coquillage, which are stylized seashells. An acroterion, the ornament at the apex of the gable, is also a stylized shell.</p><br>
<p>The interior retains many original features and rich finishes. Marble floors and pilasters (attached columns) are found in the ornate entrance lobby. The coffered (recessed) ceiling is intricately detailed with rosettes. The interior wall contains an elaborate bronze screen that led to the original postal workroom. Other original features that remain include writing desks, radiator grilles, and pendant light fixtures, which were specially designed by Rogers.</p><br>
<p>The walls of the main stair and elevator lobbies are clad in the same Tennessee marble as the exterior. However, the marble was finished to reveal more pink tones. Ceilings in this area are vaulted plaster overlaid with gold leaf. Ornate bronze elevator fronts and grilles remain. On the second floor, the courtroom lobby is lined with twenty monolithic, Tennessee marble columns with bronze scrolled Ionic capitals. Marble flooring, wainscot, and benches contribute to the opulent finishes. A plaster cornice and coffered ceiling are painted in tones derived from the marble.</p><br>
<p>In a 1919 article featured in Architectural Forum, the courtroom was described as a "dignified, sumptuous room of perfect acoustic qualities." The lavish wall treatments combine fluted pilasters and paneling in quarter-sawn white oak that was stained a light olive color. The ornate plaster cornice and ceiling beams are finished to resemble the oak walls and highlighted with gold leaf.</p><br>
<p>Remarkably, very few alterations were made to the building throughout the years. By 1980, however, it had fallen into disrepair. From 1982 to 1985, it underwent a massive renovation and restoration. The work respected historic integrity while updating spaces to meet the needs of the courts and safety requirements.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1638: New Haven Green created</p><br>
<p>1910: Frederick Law Olmsted and Cass Gilbert produce city plan</p><br>
<p>1913: Courthouse site purchased</p><br>
<p>1913-1919: USA Post Office and Courthouse constructed</p><br>
<p>1965: Building slated for demolition</p><br>
<p>1979: Postal service vacates building</p><br>
<p>1982-1985: Renovation and restoration</p><br>
<p>1998: Building renamed to honor former New Haven Mayor Richard C. Lee</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Location: 141 Court Street on the New Haven Green</p><br>
<p>Architect: James Gamble Rogers</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1913 - 1919</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Classical Revival</p><br>
<p>Primary Material: Tennessee Marble</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Classical Portico; Ornate Courtroom; Elaborate Lobbies</p><br>
<p>The USA General Services Administration Building is a historic office building located at Washington, D.C. It was built originally to house offices of the United States Department of the Interior.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>The USA General Services Administration Building, originally designed for the USA Department of the Interior, was the first truly modern office building constructed by the USA Government and served as a model for federal offices through the early 1930s.</p><br>
<p>New York architect Charles Butler (1871–1953) designed the innovative building in his capacity as consultant to the USA Treasury Departments Supervising Architect Oscar Wenderoth (1873–1938). Butlers design, patterned after private office buildings in New York and Washington, DC, allowed for the substantial amount of natural light necessary for the many architects, draftsmen, pressmen, and scientists working in the building. Construction of the restrained Neo-Classical building began in 1915 and was completed in 1917 at a cost of $2,703,494.</p><br>
<p>The Department of the Interior occupied the building from 1917 until 1937, a period significant in the department&#39;s history. The activities of the National Park Service were conceived in the sixth floor offices of Interior Secretary Franklin K. Lane. The USA Geological Survey, the largest tenant in the building, determined which public lands would be closed to development and conserved for their mineral and water resources. In 1921-1922 the building was the locus of the "Teapot Dome" scandal involving Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall. Harold L. Ickes, Secretary of the Interior under Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman, oversaw construction of dams, fully developed the National Park Service to provide recreational needs, and served as the first Federal Administrator of Public Works. They moved to the Main Interior Building.</p><br>
<p>In 1939, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) became the buildings primary occupant. PWA activities were subsumed into the newly created USA General Services Administration (GSA) in 1949 and the building was renamed the USA General Services Administration Building. In 1986 the building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allowed the construction of glassy, energy-efficient new infill space in the GSA buildings East courtyard, and the modernization of half of the rest of the building. This new space, and an open floorplan, allowed employees from previously leased buildings in Crystal City and elsewhere to be moved into this historic building, which saves lease costs and serves as an example for other federal agencies. It continues to house GSA including the Public Buildings Service—the largest and most diversified real estate organization in the world.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The USA General Services Administration Building, the first government building designed for the specific needs of a designated federal department, was the first federal building to use limestone facing and one of the first buildings in Washington, DC constructed of steel framing. It fills the entire city block between E, F, Eighteenth and Nineteenth Streets.</p><br>
<p>The site was thought by some Congressional representatives to be a poor location for a major federal building due to its distance from Capitol Hill. One Congressman stated in 1913, "Every time we build one of these buildings, we get them farther and farther out, after a while they will go to the city limits...it is not a good business policy to scatter these buildings everywhere.</p><br>
<p>The building was designed in an "E-shaped" configuration, creating open courtyards that provided maximum exposure to natural light and cooling breezes for all offices. This design resulted in glass covering fifty percent of the total wall surface on the street elevations and seventy percent of the total wall surface on the courtyard elevations. The facade was originally to have been built of brick, but substantial cost-savings measures undertaken during construction permitted the use of Indiana limestone for all of the building&#39;s exterior.</p><br>
<p>A large building, its exterior is presented without undue ornamentation. The major exterior decorative element is the centrally located F Street entrance. Pilasters and a modillioned cornice frame each of the three entry doors on the F Street facade. An eagle carved by Ernest C. Bairstow, a decorative sculptor from Washington, DC, is located over the central opening. Bairstow also provided the designs for the twenty-eight limestone panels in the frieze at the sixth story and the ornamental work on the F Street entrances. The entrance at the southern end of Eighteenth Street is sheltered by an iron and glass marquee overhanging the granite steps and part of a semi-circular driveway. This unusual entrance treatment was designed originally as a private entrance for the Secretary of the Interior, whose suite of offices was directly above on the sixth floor.</p><br>
<p>This suite on the sixth floor, now used by the GSA Administrator, is the most elaborate space in the building. It includes a private office, a private passage, and a private restroom complete with full bath, as well as a public reception room. Distinguished decorative features in the Administrator&#39;s Suite include English oak floor-to-ceiling panels and a relief plaster ceiling. The fireplace of carved French limestone is one of the few working fireplaces remaining in a Federal building in the United States. Beyond this suite, other interior amenities included iced drinking water in the halls, washbasins in each office, and an auditorium, the first such space in a Federal building.</p><br>
<p>A series of improvements have been made to office spaces to meet the evolving needs of the USA Department of Interior, Federal Works Administration, and USA General Services Administration. In the 1930s a seventh-floor addition was constructed on the roof and air-conditioning was installed throughout the building. Where necessary, extensive remodeling of original corridors was undertaken.</p><br>
<p>In 1999 the USA General Services Administration initiated a demonstration "First Impressions" project in the lobby and on the building&#39;s exterior. The goal of the "First Impressions" program is to change the way people perceive Federal buildings. Initiatives included restoring windows, cleaning exterior masonry, returning public corridors to original paint colors, replicating original corridor lighting, and creating model office space for the twenty-first century.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1915-1917: A federal building designed by architect Charles Butler is constructed for the USA Department of the Interior.</p><br>
<p>1935: The building undergoes alterations with the construction of a seventh floor and the installation of air-conditioning.</p><br>
<p>1937-1939: The USA Department of the Interior vacates the building and the Federal Works Administration becomes the primary tenant.</p><br>
<p>1949: The USA General Services Administration is established, absorbing the activities and offices of the Federal Works Administration.</p><br>
<p>1986: The USA General Services Administration Building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.</p><br>
<p>1999-2002: Restoration, rehabilitation, and pilot modernization projects are undertaken through the newly initiated "First Impressions" Program.</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Architect: Charles Butler</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1915-1917</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Location: 1800 F Street, NW</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Neoclassical</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Indiana limestone</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: E-shaped plan allowing for open courtyards; Carved stone eagle and limestone panels designed by Ernest C. Bairstow; Oak-paneled Administrator&#39;s Suite</p><br>
<p>The Cobblestone Inn is located along Ridge Road  in Oak-Orchard-on-the-Ridge, an unincorporated hamlet in the Town of Ridgeway, New York, United States. It is a cobblestone building dating to the 1830s.</p><br>
<p>At the time of its construction it was a stagecoach stop on the busy east-west route paralleling the Lake Ontario shoreline. It remained in use as an inn into the mid-20th century despite the loss of stagecoach traffic to the railroads in the decades after its construction. It is believed to be the largest cobblestone building in the state. In 2007 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.</p><br>
<h2>Building</h2><br>
<p>The inn is located on the northwest corner of the junction of Route 104 and Oak Orchard River Road (Orleans County Route 53). It is roughly 800 ft west of where the highway crosses the Oak Orchard River, and thus the ground around it slopes gently eastward. The building itself is on a 1.3 acre graded lot, elevating it slightly above the intersection. There are houses to the west along either side of the road and woods to the east as it slopes to the river.</p><br>
<p>The building itself is a two-story L-shaped structure seven bays on the long leg, paralleling Oak Orchard River Road, and four on the short. It is faced in cobblestones, five rows per Medina sandstone quoin, with a hipped roof pierced by a single central brick chimney with stepped parapet walls at the north and west ends. There is a wide plain frieze below the overhanging eaves. Besides the quoins, the sills, lintels, and water table are all sandstone as well. On the east side are two modern wooden porches at entrances along that wall. There is visible evidence of the roofs that once sheltered both.</p><br>
<p>From the main entrance on the south wall a long central entrance hall runs north to a long four-bay room and then ends in a group of service-related rooms. The second floor has, in addition to its small guest rooms, a similar room in that space. The interior retains much of its original plaster and Greek Revival woodwork. The main staircase has its original stringers, newels and balustrade.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>There is little documentation of the building&#39;s history. The arrangement of the cobblestone facing is consistent with the middle period of the style, 1836–1845. The interior layout with the large public dining room on the first floor (probably expanded later on by removing a few rooms) suggests the inn did a lot of business on a competitive stage route. It is believed to be the largest cobblestone building of the hundreds documented in New York.</p><br>
<p>Traffic on the stage routes declined first with the opening of the Erie Canal to the south, and then the rise of the railroads in the mid-19th century. The inn survived by becoming primarily a restaurant, and saw its business revive in the days of automobile tourism in the 1920s in that capacity. In the mid-20th century, that business declined when the New York State Thruway was built to the south in Genesee County. After being vacant for a while, the inn was converted into a residence. It has remained in that use, with no alterations, since then.</p><br>
<p>The Old Post Office Building, historically known as the Old Post Office and Clock Tower, located at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. was completed in 1899, and is a contributing property to the Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site. It was used as the city&#39;s main post office until 1914. It functioned primarily as an office building afterward, and was nearly torn down during the construction of the Federal Triangle complex in the 1920s. It was nearly demolished again in the 1970s to make way for completion of the Federal Triangle.</p><br>
<p>Major renovations occurred in 1976 and 1983. The 1983 renovation added a food court and retail space that together with the building&#39;s atrium acquired the name of "Old Post Office Pavilion". An addition was added to the structure in 1991.</p><br>
<p>In 2013, the USA General Services Administration leased the property for 60 years to a consortium headed by "DJT Holdings LLC", a holding company that Donald Trump owns through a revocable trust. Trump developed the property into a luxury hotel, the Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C., which opened in September 2016.</p><br>
<p>The building is an example of Richardsonian Romanesque, part of the Romanesque Revival architecture of the nineteenth century United States. It is the third-tallest building in Washington, D.C. Its 315-foot (96 m) high Clock Tower houses the Bells of Congress and offers panoramic views of the city and its surroundings.</p><br>
<h2>Construction and opening</h2><br>
<p>The United States Congress approved construction of a new post office for Washington, D.C., on June 25, 1890. The site, at the southwest corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 12th Street, was chosen by Senator Leland Stanford in 1888 in the hope that the building would revitalize the Murder Bay neighborhood between the Capitol building and the White House. Willoughby J. Edbrooke, Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department, designed the structure in the tradition of the Romanesque Revival architecture of Henry Hobson Richardson. Construction began in 1892, and the building was complete in 1899. The total cost of construction was $3 million.</p><br>
<p>At the time of its completion, the Post Office Building contained the largest uninterrupted enclosed space in the city. Its clock tower reached 315 ft into the air. It was also the city&#39;s first building to have a steel frame structure, and the first to be built with electrical wiring incorporated into its design. The structure featured elevators with cages of highly intricate wrought iron, a glass covered atrium and mezzanine level, and floors, moldings, railings, and wainscoting made of marble. The atrium was 196 ft high, and 10 floors of balconies looked out onto the space (which provided interior light in an era when indoor lighting was not common). It boasted more than 39,000 interior electric lights, and its own electrical generator. Girders and catwalks spanned the atrium at the third floor level to allow post office supervisors to look down on the workers. The fifth floor housed executive offices in the corners. Each office had a turret, ornately carved wooden moldings, and red oak paneling. But there were problems with the structure. The Washington Star newspaper reported that the skylights and windows leaked air and water, the marble floors were poorly laid, and much of the construction was shoddy. The ninth floor was to have served as a file room, but a post-construction inspection showed it could not accommodate the weight. Technological advances in electricity and electrical wiring, mechanical engineering, movement of air, heating, and more made the building out of date as soon as it opened.</p><br>
<p>The anticipated economic development never occurred. By the time it opened, the building was also too small to accommodate the government agencies which occupied it. The city postmaster had advocated a building with a 50,000 ft&sup2; footprint, but only 10,000 ft&sup2; were purchased. Treasury Department offices were to have taken over the eighth floor, but the structure was so overcrowded that this move was suspended.</p><br>
<p>A year after the building opened, an accident there took the life of D.C. Postmaster James P. Willett. On September 30, 1899, Willett fell 90 ft down an open elevator shaft. Nothing more than a flimsy wooden barrier prevented access to the shaft. Willett died a day later.</p><br>
<h2>First 50 years</h2><br>
<p>In the early 1880s, Senator Justin Smith Morrill and Senator John James Ingalls proposed razing all the structures between Pennsylvania Avenue and B Street (now Constitution Avenue) to create a park. The influential McMillan Plan of 1902, however, proposed retaining the structure. (It could hardly have done otherwise, with the building only just having been completed.) Nonetheless, the same year the Washington Post editorialized in favor of its demolition. In discussing plans to beautify Washington, essayist Sammuel E. Moffett disparagingly called the building in 1906 a "Kansas City emporium so utterly out of keeping with the general atmosphere of official Washington that it sets the teeth of architects on edge". Later that year, Senator Weldon B. Heyburn introduced legislation to authorize the federal government to purchase all the land between Pennsylvania Avenue, the National Mall, 15th Street NW, and the USA Capitol for the construction of an architecturally "harmonious" set of massive office buildings. Heyburn&#39;s plan retained the Old Post Office Building, but adjusted its Pennsvylania Avenue side to be parallel with the street.</p><br>
<p>The clock in the building tower was originally mechanical in nature, and kept accurate time via gravity. A cable was wrapped around a drum, and a large weight attached to the end of the cable. As the cable unwound due to the force of gravity, the clock hands turned. The cable was rewound once or twice a day. On October 10, 1956, the weight came loose from the cable and plunged through two floors (narrowly avoiding killing a man, who had just gotten up from his desk). The mechanical clock was later replaced with an electric one.</p><br>
<p>In 1914, the District of Columbia General Post Office moved to a larger building constructed next to Union Station. Although only 15 years old, the building at 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue was now commonly called the "old" post office. For the next forty years, the building served as office space for several government agencies.</p><br>
<p>The Old Post Office Building was slated for demolition during construction of the Federal Triangle. In 1926, the United States Congress enacted the Public Buildings Act, which authorized the construction not only of the Federal Triangle complex of buildings but also a new USA Supreme Court building opposite the United States Capitol, a major extension of the USA Government Printing Office building on North Capitol Street, and significant widening of B Street NW on the north side of the National Mall. Government officials, other experts, and the press believed that the demolition of the District Building, the Old Post Office Building and the closure of many streets in the area would occur. A Board of Architectural Consultants was created on May 19, 1927, to advise the federal agencies developing Federal Triangle on how to proceed. By July 1927, the board had fashioned a general plan for the area, but did not address whether the Old Post Office Building, the District Building, or the Southern Railway Building should be torn down or not. Planning for the complex was deeply influenced by the City Beautiful movement and the idea of creating a civic center to achieve efficiency in administration as well as reinforce the publics perception of government as authoritative and permanent. For the architectural style of the buildings, the board adopted the McMillan Plans recommendation of the Neoclassical style. Rather than a mass of tall, imposing buildings, two unifying open spaces (intended for ceremonial use, and under discussion by the Board at least by March 1928) would be utilized. The first would be a Circular Plaza (inspired by the Place Vendôme) bisected by 12th Street NW, and which would require the demolition of the Old Post Office Building.</p><br>
<p>But by 1934, although the government had cleared land around the Old Post Office Building, Congress was increasingly opposed to demolishing the structure. Tearing down a structurally sound 35-year-old building during the Great Depression seemed foolish. But the executive branch agencies overseeing the Federal Triangle&#39;s construction still wanted it gone. Yet, it was not demolished. Four years passed. Although a push was made to remove the Old Post Office Building again in 1938, Senator Elmer Thomas defended it and attacked the erection of a Neoclassical office building in its place as financially unacceptable.</p><br>
<p>The 1938 effort to remove the building was the last one for 30 years. Various reasons have been suggested for why the Old Post Office Building survived. A common claim is that the federal government, fighting the Great Depression, simply did not have the money. Press reports at the time, however, noted that voters would have punished congressmen who tore down a perfectly good building.</p><br>
<p>The Old Post Office Building&#39;s tower slowly became an iconic one in the city. The United States Information Agency often used it as a backdrop for propaganda films to be shown in foreign countries. In one instance, a portion of a film about Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn was taped in the tower.</p><br>
<h2>1970s demolition attempt</h2><br>
<p>By the 1950s, the neighborhood around the Old Post Office Building had also declined. Pennsylvania Avenue NW was marked by deteriorating homes, shops, and office buildings on the north side and monumental Neoclassical federal office buildings on the south. After witnessing the poor state of the avenue during his inaugural parade, President John F. Kennedy appointed a Presidents Council on Pennsylvania Avenue to study ways to improve the area. The councils draft plan was ready for Kennedy&#39;s approval when he was assassinated on November 22, 1963. The draft plan retained the Old Post Office Building.</p><br>
<p>Kennedys successor, President Lyndon B. Johnson, agreed to move forward with the plan and appointed a Temporary Presidents Commission on Pennsylvania Avenue, although it did not hold its first meeting until May 21, 1965. The new commission recommended that the Old Post Office be torn down in favor of completing the plan for the Federal Triangle. The temporary commission managed to prevent development of the avenue which was contrary to the draft plan, but it never was able to win congressional approval for its plan. It ceased to function on November 15, 1969, due to lack of funds. A permanent Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation (PADC) was finally created by Congress on October 30, 1972.</p><br>
<p>An attempt to demolish the Old Post Office Building began in February 1970. The National Capital Planning Commission, a federal agency with legal jurisdiction over major building projects in the Washington metropolitan area, agreed (although it said the tower might be preserved). Within days, Wolf Von Eckardt, the influential architectural critic ofThe Washington Post, began campaigning for the structures preservation. No action was taken on the demolition project in 1970, and Von Eckardt continued to press for the buildings preservation in 1971. By early 1971, a group of local citizens and architects formed a group known as "Dont Tear It Down" (predecessor to the D.C. Preservation League). The groups members included Nancy Hanks, the politically influential chairwoman of the National Endowment for the Arts. Don&#39;t Tear It Down began heavily lobbying the PADC, General Services Administration (which owned the building for the federal government), White House, Congress, and D.C. city government to stop the demolition. Opposition to the demolition began to grow in the USA Senate, which held hearings on the buildings in April 1971. Preservation forces received a major boost in May 1971 when the federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation recommended retaining it.</p><br>
<p>The Nixon administration, however, continued to seek its demolition so that Federal Triangle could be completed in time for the United States Bicentennial in 1976. But by this time, Senator Mike Gravel, chair of the Subcommittee on Public Buildings and Grounds of the Committee on Public Works was strongly opposed to the effort. Gravel sought allies in the United States House of Representatives, and in June 1972, the House Committee on Appropriations voted down Nixon&#39;s request for money to demolish the Old Post Office.</p><br>
<h2>Rejuvenation in 1970s</h2><br>
<p>The Old Post Office was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. That same year, the General Services Administration formally dropped its intention to demolish the building and instead developed a plan to preserve it. The National Capital Planning Commission agreed to the project.</p><br>
<p>Major renovation of the structure was made possible in 1976 by enactment of the Public Buildings Cooperative Use Act. The law gave GSA the legal authority to lease federal buildings and use the money received for renovations and upgrades. It also legalized the use of a portion of federal office buildings for commercial retail and restaurant use. The Old Post Office was the first major project begun under the law.</p><br>
<p>An $18 million renovation began in 1977. The building badly needed it: The atrium roof had been covered over, making the interior dark; the building leaked and had suffered extensive water damage; there was mold throughout the building; and the heating system often broke down.</p><br>
<h3>1979–1983 renovation</h3><br>
<p>The GSA held a competition in 1978 to find a partner willing to redevelop the Old Post Office Building. The agency believed that the configuration of the interior space and downtown real estate market would only support a hotel. But the winning bid did not propose a hotel. A joint venture by four firms—McGaughy, Marshall, and McMillan; Arthur Cotton Moore Associates; Associated Space Design, Inc. and Stewart Daniel Hoban & Associates—won the competition. GSA and the bidding team reached an agreement for a 55-year lease. GSA collected $166,000 a year in rent, which increased just 5 percent during the life of the lease. GSA also received a percentage of all profits from the enterprise.</p><br>
<p>The $29 million renovation was completed in 1983. Much of the building was gutted to utilize the interior space more efficiently, but some "preservation zones" were established to retain the interiors historic character. Much of the old marble was replaced with new, pink marble, and the interior repainted in shades of cream, gray, green, and ivory pastels. A glass-enclosed elevator to the observation deck was also added, The retail section included a performance space known as the Nancy Hanks Center. Hanks died on January 7, 1983, just weeks before the buildings re-opening. The clock tower and observation deck reopened to the public on May 1, 1984. The 1983 renovation won strong praise from architectural critic Benjamin Forgey.</p><br>
<p>The commercial space was designed by the Boston firm of Benjamin Thompson & Associates, and it was leased by Evans Development Co. of Baltimore. More than 50 restaurants and boutique retail stores were anticipated to sublet portions of the three-story retail section, and it was 98% leased at its opening. During the mid-1980s, Hillman Properties bought out its partner, Evans Development, and took control of the Old Post Office Pavilion.</p><br>
<p>In October 1986, Congress enacted legislation formally renaming the Old Post Office the "Nancy Hanks Center".</p><br>
<h2>1988–1992 expansion</h2><br>
<p>Despite the positive news about the Old Post Office Pavilion, it was not doing well. GSA imposed conditions on the 1983 renovation that left the retail pavilion looking like an office building rather than a shopping mall. There was also too little retail space, the retail space was poorly configured due to the architectural design of the building, and GSA refused to allow any storefronts on the exterior that would signal that there was retail or restaurants inside.</p><br>
<p>Old Post Office Joint Venture (a group led by Hillman Properties), the developer of the pavilion, was also losing money. Old Post Office Joint Venture (OPOJV) received $166,000 a year in rent from GSA, but its agreement with the federal government called for doubling the size of the retail space to 100,000 ft&sup2;. Approval for that expansion had never been given. OPOJV originally proposed expansion of the retail space into the Internal Revenue Service Building, but this was rejected for security reasons. It then proposed an underground parking lot and pavilion expansion in the area occupied by the IRS building&#39;s parking lot, but this, too, was not approved.</p><br>
<p>With the financial situation at the Old Post Office Pavilion worsening, OPOJV proposed building a glass-enclosed annex on the IRS building&#39;s parking lot. The proposal was strongly opposed by the D.C. Historic Preservation Review Board. Nonetheless, Congress appropriated $1.7 million for the project and OPOJV agreed to contribute another $15 million. The National Capital Planning Commission also gave its approval to the project.</p><br>
<p>The new East Atrium opened on March 6, 1992. The three level structure had 100,000 ft&sup2; of interior space and a glass roof. Under the terms of the development agreement, the federal government owned the land beneath the structure, but the building was owned by Hillman Properties. As construction occurred, the Old Post Office Pavilion lost many of its high-end retailers and replaced them with low-end shops selling mugs, souvenirs, T-shirts, and other items aimed at tourists. The East Atrium, however, included larger and more upscale retailers. The addition also featured a 5,000 ft&sup2; miniature golf course and bar. The East Atrium was managed by General Growth Properties, which said about 78 percent of the space was leased. The East Atrium was not well received, critically. Architecture critic Benjamin Forgey acknowledged that the building achieved its goals; incorporated many modern architectural design features (such as glass curtain walls, setbacks, and good connections to sidewalks and pedestrian areas); and it added a piece of the 1982 master plan for Federal Triangle. But Forgey called the design by the local architectural firm of Karn Charuhas Chapman & Twohey awkward, with "clunky" proportions and over-heavy elements. The interior, however, won praise for its lightness.</p><br>
<h3>Post-expansion</h3><br>
<p>A small fire broke out on the west side of the Old Post Office Building between the ninth floor ceiling and the roof on August 26, 1992. Workers repairing the roof accidentally caused the blaze, which began at 3:45 P.M. and was extinguished 45 minutes later. Although small, the fire snarled downtown traffic during the evening rush hour.</p><br>
<p>By October 1993, despite more than 3 million visitors a year, OPOJV was behind on its rent to GSA and in default on its mortgage to Collin Equities (a subsidiary of Wells Fargo). Real estate experts blamed the cost of heating and cooling the vast atrium, heavy tenant turnover, and the lack of a theater for a space below the East Atrium. Although the D.C. Convention and Visitors Association said the Old Post Office was the eighth most-visited attraction in the District of Columbia, retail experts believed it had never made money, and the East Atrium did not bring in enough rent to support the Old Post Office Pavilion.</p><br>
<p>Collin Equities/Wells Fargo foreclosed on OPOJV in October 1993. The bank hired Hill Partners, a real estate management firm from Charlotte, North Carolina, to revitalize the retail aspects of the development. Hill Partners said that improving access to and shoppers&#39; awareness of the retail area, it could double the number of visitors to the Old Post Office to more than 7 million. Hill Partners began reevaluating its tenant mix with a view to adding retailers which D.C. residents needed. It also revealed that the East Atrium was a money-loser, never filling more than half its space. Whether the East Atrium would remain open was not clear. The company agreed, however, to keep the Pavilion area a "festival marketplace" (one which offers a combination of entertainment, food, and retail shops).</p><br>
<p>In March 1995, the Cineplex Odeon Corporation said it would open a seven-screen movie theater in East Atrium (which now had no tenants).</p><br>
<p>Hill Partners had a difficult time finding any new tenants for the East Atrium and for the Pavilion. Virgin Group said in June 1996 it might build a Virgin Megastore, eight-to-12 screen Virgin Cinema, and possible a rock music-themed restaurant at the Old Post Office. But the company wanted the main building for its retail outlets, not the East Atrium. But nothing came of these discussions.</p><br>
<p>In 1997, a hotel development firm, Denhill D.C. LLC, approached GSA and offered to take over Collins Equities/Wells Fargo lease. The company said it would spend more than $100 million to turn the office space on the upper floors into hotel rooms and open the Pennsylvania Avenue walls to create more access and street-front retail space. In return, the company asked the GSA to extend the 55-year lease to 65 years, and give it the option of adding three more decade-long lease extension options. According to Denhill D.C. officials, the negotiations were so far advanced that they had a management company ready to operate the hotel and retail tenants ready to take space. GSA said it then ended the negotiations over legal concerns that it was about to enter into a long-term lease without advertising it to other bidders.</p><br>
<p>By August 2000, business conditions at the Old Post Office had sunk even lower. Operations there had never turned a profit in 17 years, the vacancy rate in the Pavilion was 80 percent, the East Atrium was closed, and GSA had stopped charging Wells Fargo rent because no income was being generated. Realizing that a retail/office combination was not going to make money, GSA began negotiating with Collins Equities/Wells Fargo to cancel the lease. GSA by now had realized that if retail space was to be retained, it would need to open onto Pennsylvania Avenue NW. But the agency also was considered scrapping the retail floors and turning them into office space or getting rid of both retail and office space to allow the structure to be developed as a hotel. The hotel option was proving far more appealing than in the early 1980s because of the agency&#39;s overwhelmingly positive experience in allowing Kimpton Hotels to transform the 170,000 ft&sup2; vacant Tariff Commission Building into a 172-room luxury Hotel Monaco.</p><br>
<h2>Redevelopment as a hotel</h2><br>
<p>On December 28, 2000, GSA submitted the plan for the Old Post Office, as required by the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act of 1999. On June 15, 2001, Senators Robert Smith, Harry Reid, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, and Byron Dorgan sent a letter to GSA giving consent for GSA to expend such funds as necessary to acquire by purchase the leasehold rights of the lease at the Old Post Office, if certain conditions were followed.</p><br>
<h3>Non-hotel redevelopment attempts</h3><br>
<p>In 2002, lobbyist Jack Abramoff engaged in extensive illegal discussions with GSA chief of staff David H. Safavian an attempt to secure the lease on the structure for a Native American tribal client. Abramoff took Safavian on an all-expenses-paid golf trip to Scotland, during which time they discussed turning the lease over to the unidentified tribe. Savafian was later convicted of perjury for lying about his relationship with Abramoff.</p><br>
<p>The General Services Administration issued a Request for Expression of Interest in 2004 for developing the Old Post Office Building. Several companies expressed interest, but GSA did not proceed further.</p><br>
<p>Beginning in 2002, a major push was made to convert the building into the National Womens History Museum and a bill do do so passed in the United States Senate in 2005. However, local developers, city residents, and members of the House of Representatives were angry that the building would be given away for free. The bill was reintroduced in the 109th United States Congress, although this time the womens museum asked for only the East Atrium. This effort, too, was unsuccessful, even though the East Atrium had broken floor tiles and unfinished interior construction that exposed beams and left gaping holes instead of storefronts.</p><br>
<h3>Limited movement on redevelopment</h3><br>
<p>In March 2005, GSA issued a request for information (RFI) and received more than 20 responses. However, the agency did not receive approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to proceed to a request for proposals (RFP). OMB did not believe that the responses to the RFI showed that redevelopment was in the best financial interest of the federal government, however.</p><br>
<p>In June 2006, as a result of the Mid-Atlantic United States flood of 2006, record-setting rainfall of 12.11 in fell on Washington, D.C. The basement of the Old Post Office Building flooded, as did the William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building (headquarters of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives), the Herbert C. Hoover Building (headquarters of the United States Department of Commerce), the Internal Revenue Service Building, the National Archives Building, and the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building. The Old Post Office Building, one of those on higher ground, reopened after two days. Most of the other buildings remained closed for a week.</p><br>
<p>In 2007, GSA estimated, that it would cost more than $100 million to modernize the structure. GSA also said that while it earned $5.4 million in rent at the Old Post Office Building in 2007, it spent $11.9 million on administrative and maintenance, for a loss of $6.5 million.</p><br>
<p>In 2008, Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C.&#39;s Delegate to Congress, introduced the "Old Post Office Building Redevelopment Act of 2008" (H.R. 5001) to require GSA move faster on issuing a request for proposals. During hearings before the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, members of Congress singled out the Old Post Office Building for under-utilization.The legislation passed the House on June 23, and the Senate on September 26. President George W. Bush signed it into law (P.L. 110-359) on October 8. As enacted, the Redevelopment Act required the GSA to proceed with redevelopment of the Old Post Office Building and relocate all federal tenants. It required the GSA to report to the appropriate House and Senate committees regarding any redevelopment agreement, and barred any redevelopment plan from coming into force until 30 days of a continuous session of Congress had passed.</p><br>
<p>On July 12, 2008, the National Capital Planning Commission issued its National Capital Framework, a plan designed to govern development in Washington, D.C. for the next 50 years. The plan was supported by the United States Commission of Fine Arts, the federal agency with legislative authority to approve the aesthetic design of all major buildings in the D.C. metropolitan area. The National Capital Framework specifically asked that the Old Post Office Building be renovated in order to improve public amenities and support the ongoing revitalization of Pennsylvania Avenue.</p><br>
<h3>Post-legislation redevelopment initiatives</h3><br>
<p>By October 2010, no major redevelopment goals had been met. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee strongly criticized GSA in a report for mismanaging the Old Post Office Building. The report specifically accused GSA of not moving to redevelop the property during a real estate boom in 2006. When the boom ended, GSA was stuck with the property, and the House committee accused the agency of losing more than $25 million on maintenance rather than generating income. With pressure building on the White House to deal with billions of dollars worth of excess or underutilized federal property, the Barack Obama administration said it would take action to more quickly dispose of property like the Old Post Office. Rather than sell property at fire sale prices, the administration created a new independent advisory panel to help create a disposal plan for each individual building. D.C. area lawmakers pressed the advisory panel to act immediately on the Old Post Office. Douglas Firstenberg, a principal with StonebridgeCarras, a real estate property management firm that helped the federal government lease buildings, said that historic preservation restrictions and the large number of existing tenants made redevelopment difficult.</p><br>
<p>In March 2011, A new RFP was finally issued by GSA. In all, GSA received 10 bids, most of which were hotels. Among the proposals were a luxury hotel and a National Museum of the Jewish People.</p><br>
<p>Other bidders included The Trump Organization, Carpenter, Monument Realty, JBG Smith, and a partnership of Hilton Worldwide and Metropolitan Partnership, Ltd.</p><br>
<h2>Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C.</h2><br>
<h3>Lease to The Trump Organization</h3><br>
<p>On February 6, 2012, GSA announced that it had chosen The Trump Organization as the potential redeveloper of the Old Post Office Building. The company partnered with Colony Capital, a private equity firm, in its bid. The Trump Organization bid pledged to spend $200 million to turn the structure into a 250-room The Trump Organization bid touted the involvement of Arthur Cotton Moore, a noted local architect who had renovated historic buildings in the area before and who had helped design the Old Post Office Building renovations in the 1970s. Moore left the effort within less than a year for health reasons. Another preservationist architect, John Cullinane, working on the project resigned "because I couldn’t support what they were doing to the building... hey were covering up or tearing out everything that was historic..."</p><br>
<p>There were many concerns expressed by local residents and historic preservationists by the successful Trump bid. Preservationists believed Trump would not respect the historic nature of the building Some city residents worried that Trump would block access to the clock tower. However, the National Park Service said it will retain control over the clock tower and observation deck and it will keep them open for tours. Washington Post business columnist Steven Pearlstein questioned the financial wisdom of selecting Trump/Colony Capital, given Trumps extensive problems with bankruptcy and Colony Capitals current problems keeping its hotel properties out of receivership. Robert Peck, Commissioner of the General Services Administration, defended the selection, arguing that the Trump/Colony Capital bid was by far the best in terms of financial commitment, experience in renovating and managing properties, and quality of design. Peck dismissed criticism about Trump&#39;s numerous past bankruptcies, noting that these mostly concerned casinos rather than hotels.</p><br>
<p>There was, however, also the opinion expressed by Washington Post business reporters Petula Dvorak and Jonathan O&#39;Connell that the new Trump hotel would help spark an economic renaissance in the Downtown neighborhood.</p><br>
<h4>Lease protests</h4><br>
<p>In March 2012, the Washington Post reported that Monument Realty offered a base rent much higher than that of The Trump Organization. Monument and development partner Angelo, Gordon & Co. proposed a 260,000 ft&sup2; office building with a media center on the first three floors. It also proposed demolishing the annex in favor of a parking garage. Monument Realty bid for the building with a lease price of $5.1 million annually, with rent increases based on the buildings performance. The Trump Organization, however, offered $200 million in redevelopment dollars, while Monument would have provided just $116.5 million. GSA scored submission based on experience and past performance, design concept, financial capacity and capability, and initial development investment. It was unclear, therefore, that Monuments bid was superior to The Trump Organization&#39;s bid.</p><br>
<p>Another bidder, BP-Metropolitan Investors, filed an official protest in April 2012 against GSA for awarding the redevelopment to The Trump Organization. The bidding group, which included Hilton Worldwide, said GSA failed to take into account Trump&#39;s repeated bankruptcies and unrealistic economic assumptions. GSA said Metropolitan lost the award because it offered to spend only $140 million to renovate the building. GSA responded to the protest by noting that since the redevelopment was not a procurement, there were no legal grounds for protesting its decision.</p><br>
<h4>Trump lease negotiations</h4><br>
<p>In the summer of 2012, The Trump Organization asked the District of Columbia to waive possessory interest taxes on the Old Post Office Building. The possessory interest tax was estimated at about $3 million in 2012, although it would likely be far more once the property was fully redeveloped. D.C. tax officials denied the waiver. Pedro Ribeiro, a spokesperson for Mayor Vincent C. Gray, said, "It was never part of the bid proposal that the project would not be subject to the tax." David Orowitz, the Vice President for Acquisitions and Development in The Trump Organization, said that the denial of tax waiver was not a surprise and would not change the financial calculations of the company&#39;s bid. Donald Trump later denied seeking any tax waiver.</p><br>
<p>As the clock ticked on the one-year deadline to finalize a deal with GSA, The Trump Organization hired Streetsense, a real estate and retail design firm, to select restaurants and retailers for the Old Post Office Pavilion. Trump chose the company over local real estate developer Douglas Jemal and retail design firm Ashkenazy Acquisition. Tiffany & Co. was among the retailers the company talked to.</p><br>
<p>Six development meetings were held with GSA, the CFA, D.C. government officials, and The Trump Organization between February and December 2012. Determining what was acceptable redevelopment was critical if a final lease agreement was to be signed. The Trump Organizations new design team consisted of the firms Beyer Blinder Belle and WDG Architecture (formerly Edwin Weihe & Associates). The Trump Organization proposed extending 11th Street NW south of Pennsylvania Avenue NW. City officials asked that a half-block of C Street NW south of the hotel be reopened with redevelopment money, too, but The Trump Organization declined the request. The architectural team proposed adding retail on all four corners of the Old Post Office Building, and building a new mezzanine level inside it (with a restaurant on top and a spa and fitness center below). Historic preservation agencies refused to allow various types of canopies or signs bearing the hotels name along Pennsylvania Avenue, and six alternative designs for the East Atrium were rejected out of hand by the CFA. But still under consideration was a proposal to convert the lower level of the East Atrium into parking with the upper level retained as a ballroom.</p><br>
<p>By late January 2013, no final lease agreement had been reached. However, both The Trump Organization and GSA said that they were closing in on a deal, and GSA said it was unlikely to reopen the bidding process if one was not reached by the 12-month deadline. Trump officials and GSA attributed the delay to the length of the lease, which created complexities that needed time to be resolved. GSA also said there were also unique issues raised by the building&#39;s historic status. Nonetheless, federal law required the GSA to reach a deal by June 2013 or reopen the bidding process.</p><br>
<h4>Change in financing and receiving preliminary regulatory approval</h4><br>
<p>Donald Trump asserted that a deal was "weeks" away in mid-April 2013. But even as he said that, contrary to rumor, he was not seeking to renegotiate his initial agreement with GSA, The Trump Organization re-evaluated its partnership with Colony Capital. Trump said his company was likely to either replace Colony or finance the entire redevelopment deal in cash. GSA officials said any such change would not affect the negotiations.</p><br>
<p>The Trump Organization cleared several regulatory hurdles in April and May 2013. On April 28, the Commission of Fine Arts gave non-binding, preliminary approval to the company&#39;s draft redevelopment plan. On May 16, GSA completed an environmental impact assessment (EIA) which concluded the redevelopment would have no significant adverse historic, land use, or transportation impacts. The EIA also concluded that the hotel would generate about $6.5 million per year in hotel bed tax revenue and $1.5 million in sales tax revenue.</p><br>
<h4>Final lease agreement</h4><br>
<p>On June 4, GSA reached a final agreement with The Trump Organization regarding redevelopment of the Old Post Office building. The Trump Organization negotiated a 60-year lease under which it paid $250,000 in rent per month, with annual increases tied to the Consumer Price Index. To allay concerns by critics that he too often defaulted on developments, Trump agreed to provide a $40 million personal guaranty as well as a "bad acts" (to cover failure to pay taxes, fraud, or other forms of misconduct). The Trump Organization agreed to pay all taxes, although the lease did not bar the company from seeking a historic preservation tax credit.</p><br>
<p>The Trump Organization agreed to turn the Old Post Office building into a 260-room some said 270, some said 271, and others 275). Many of the rooms would have 25 ft high ceilings, The average room was expected to be 600 ft&sup2; in size,</p><br>
<p>In what were formerly the offices of the Postmaster General of the United States, the company planned two "presidential suites" of 3,000 ft&sup2; each with 16 ft ceilings. Each presidential suite would have a working fireplace, sauna, steam room, walk-in closet, direct-access elevators, and views of Pennsylvania Avenue NW and the National Mall.</p><br>
<p>Redevelopment plans included an art gallery, café, bar, fitness center, library, lounge with fountain, meeting rooms, spa, two or three upscale restaurants, several luxury retail shops, a 4,000 ft&sup2; Mar-a-Lago brand spa, and a small museum about the building, its clock tower, and its bells. The Trump Organization agreed to continue to allow the public access to the clock tower and observation platform. The National Park Service agreed to operate the clock tower tours. The exterior of the building (including the multicolor brick and granite pavement designed by Aleksandra Kasuba) would be preserved in its historic state. Pending approval by regulatory authorities, The Trump Organization proposed building a floor over the ground level (turning the mezzanine into a floor), although the grand staircase would remain. Most of the retail would occupy the ground and second floor, while the historic Stamp Counter on the east side of the ground floor would become the hotel registration desk.</p><br>
<p>Major changes would be made to the 86,000 ft&sup2; East Atrium and the streets around it. The Trump Organization intended to convert the 34,400 ft&sup2; basement level into a 150-space parking garage, with a 31600 to 35000 sqft ballroom on the ground level and 20,000 ft&sup2; of conference room space on the second floor. The ballrooms size would make it the largest in any luxury hotel in the city. The city agreed to extend 11th Street NW into the Federal Triangle south to C Street NW to provide access for automobiles. The Old Post Office Buildings entrance on 11th Street NW would again be the structure&#39;s main entrance (opening the door on the long-closed side of the building). Pending final regulatory approval, a new steel and glass canopy will be constructed over the new entrance and a "Trump International Hotel" sign suspended inside the entrance arch.</p><br>
<p>The 12th Street NW entrance would become the secondary entrance, providing public access to the restaurants and retail stores. Awnings would be over windows and the entrance on the ground floor, and a sign for the hotel added over the entrance. Outdoor seating would be added on the 12th Street NW, 11th Street NW, and Pennsylvania Avenue NW sides of the building. C Street NW would not be reopened to automobile traffic. The Trump Organization said it would remove the ahistoric glass and steel ground floor storefront on the C Street side and expand and renovate the public plaza there by adding outdoor seating and a performance space.</p><br>
<p>With the lease signed, Ivanka Trump said construction would begin immediately after the building was turned over to The Trump Organization.</p><br>
<h4>Tax credit</h4><br>
<p>On November 14, 2016, the National Park Service approved Part 2 of the Trump organization’s application for a tax credit in the amount of 20% of the rehabilitation cost of the building, estimated in the original application at $160 million. The final step would be the filing of Part 3 to collect the tax credit on the actual cost upon the completion of the construction.</p><br>
<h3>2014 redevelopment</h3><br>
<p>Under the 2008 redevelopment law, Congress had 30 days to disapprove the lease or it would become final. Anticipating no problems from the legislature, GSA began relocating the existing federal tenants in the Old Post Office Building.</p><br>
<p>Another major regulatory hurdle was cleared by The Trump Organization in early July 2013. The staff of the National Capital Planning Commission recommended to the agency that it approve the redevelopment plans. The NCPC staff report suggested that GSA and The Trump Organization continue to work on exterior signage designs to ensure they are appropriate. The full commission approved the staff report and gave preliminary approval to the company&#39;s building plans. The NCPC asked the organization to return in fall 2013 with final plans.</p><br>
<p>On August 5, 2013, Congress allowed the lease between GSA and The Trump Organization to go into force. The Washington Business Journal reported that the lease called for a 263-room The D.C. Preservation League (the former Don&#39;t Tear It Down) said it supported the Trump redevelopment of the site.</p><br>
<p>The Trump Organization hired the interior design firm of Hirsch Bedner Associates to work on the interior of the Old Post Office Building.</p><br>
<p>The $200 million renovation began on May 1, 2014, with the closure of the clock tower. Changes to the structures exterior included the removal of the words "OLD POST OFFICE" from the central arch of the buildings main entrance and the placement beneath that arch of a bar containing the words "TRUMP INTERNATIONAL HOTEL".</p><br>
<h3>Opening of Trump International Hotel</h3><br>
<h4>Opening</h4><br>
<p>The Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C. opened to paying guests with a "soft opening" on September 12, 2016. The hotel&#39;s grand opening was celebrated on October 26, 2016.</p><br>
<h4>Reviews</h4><br>
<p>A Vanity Fair review described the hotel as grand on the outside, a complete disaster and "a frightful dump" on the inside. In December 2016, Luxury Travel Intelligence reviewed the Trump Hotel and found major shortcomings in its service and operations. It called the decor "garish", said that it was not suited to the discerning business traveler, and ranked it as the third worst hotel in the world.</p><br>
<h4>Restaurant controversy</h4><br>
<p>The Trump Organization initially entered into contracts with chefs José Andrés and Geoffrey Zakarian to open restaurants in the atrium and in the northwest corner of the Organization&#39;s planned new hotel. However, both chefs pulled out of the deals after Donald Trump made controversial public comments about Mexicans in June 2015, before the hotel had opened. The ensuing legal disputes were settled in April 2017.</p><br>
<h4>Impacts on Pennsylvania Avenue</h4><br>
<p>For 16 years until 2015, the Sakura Matsuri-Japanese Street Festival, the largest Japanese Cultural Festival in the United States, took place throughout a spring-time day on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the Old Post Office Building. The Festival&#39;s location enabled the event to be near the route of the annual Cherry Blossom Parade, which traveled nearby along Constitution Avenue during the same day (see National Cherry Blossom Festival).</p><br>
<p>However, in 2016 and 2017, the Street Festival&#39;s organizers were forced to move their</p><br>
<p>event to a distant location in Washington, D.C. The Festivals relocation became necessary after the Trump Organization negotiated a deal with the Government of the District of Columbia that requires a 20 ft-wide lane on Pennsylvania Avenue to remain open to the Trump International Hotels customers and valet parking service except during major events such as presidential inaugural parades, thus leaving insufficient space on the Avenue for the festival&#39;s activities and for those of other events formerly held near the building.</p><br>
<h3>Legal challenges associated with Trump's presidency</h3><br>
<p>After Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as President of the United States, the Trump International Hotel became the focus of legal controversy. World leaders stated Trump was encouraging emissaries to stay at Trump hotels while visiting.</p><br>
<h4>Emoluments Clause lawsuits</h4><br>
<h4>=CREW v. Trump=</h4><br>
<p>In January 2017, a lawsuit against Trump was brought by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and several prominent legal scholars&mdash;including Laurence Tribe of Harvard Law School, former White House Special Counsel for Ethics and Government Reform Norman L. Eisen, Erwin Chemerinsky of the UC Irvine, and Zephyr Teachout of Fordham University. The lawsuit argues that Trump is in violation of the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the United States because his hotels, as well as other businesses, are accepting payments from foreign guests. The suit is pending in the USA District Court for the Southern District of New York.</p><br>
<h4>=District of Columbia and Maryland v. Trump=</h4><br>
<p>On June 12, 2017, the Attorney General Karl Racine of the District of Columbia and Attorney General Brian Frosh of Maryland filed a joint lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland against President Trump alleging both foreign and domestic emoluments clause violations of the United States Constitution. Similar to CREW v. Trump, Attorney Generals Racine and Frosh cite The Trump Organization receipt of foreign money at Trump Hotels and other businesses as a violation of the constitution, and that this transaction negatively affects the economy of Washington, D.C. and Maryland, as well as the best interests of the American public.</p><br>
<h4>=Blumenthal et. al. v. Trump=</h4><br>
<p>On June 14, 2017, lead by Senator Richard Blumenthal and Representative John Conyers, Jr., more than a third of the voting members of Congress filed a lawsuit alleging violations of the Foreign Emoluments Clause seeking the right to be informed of and approve of gifts from foreign governments before they are received. The lawsuit makes specific allegations concerning attempts to solicit foreign governments at the Old Post Office Pavilion.</p><br>
<h3>GSA contract</h3><br>
<p>The Trump Organizations lease contract with the USA General Services Administration, signed in 2013, provides that "no elected official of the government... shall be admitted to any share or part of this Lease, or to any benefit that may arise therefrom." In February 2017, Senators Tom Carper and Claire McCaskill (the Democratic ranking members of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and its Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, respectively) wrote a letter to the GSA inspector general, writing: "Since President Trump took the oath of office, the Trump Old Post Office, LLC appears to be in breach of the plain language of the lease agreement." They requested an inspector general inquiry. In March 2017, however, the GSA announced that they considered the tenant of the property to be in full compliance with the terms of the lease, following a reorganization of the hotels organizational structure and the placing of the property in a revocable trust.</p><br>
<h3>Trump response</h3><br>
<p>The President responded to the emolument clause allegations by outlining a plan where payments from foreign guests would be paid into the USA Treasury and to the GSA contract issues by placing his holdings into a trust directed by his children. This plan was criticized by Walter M. Shaub, the Director of the USA Office of Government Ethics, who stated that "the plan does not comport with the tradition of our Presidents over the past 40 years" and was at odds with past practice, since "...every President in modern times has taken the strong medicine of divestiture."</p><br>
<h2>Clock Tower and bells</h2><br>
<p>The Old Post Office Buildings 315 ft Clock Tower is the third-highest building in Washington, D.C., after the Washington Monument and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The towers 270 ft observation deck offers panoramic views of the city and its surroundings. The tower includes an exhibit depicting the building&#39;s long struggle for survival and a view of the interior workings of the illuminated clock.</p><br>
<p>The Clock Tower houses the Bells of Congress (also known as the Ditchley Bells), which the Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast and are replicas of bells in Westminster Abbey. Sir David Wills, who had founded Englands Ditchley Foundation, donated the bells to the United States in commemoration of the nations 1976 Bicentennial. However, the bells were not brought to the United States and installed in the Clock Tower until 1983.</p><br>
<p>The 10-bell peal consists of bells ranging from 300 to 3000 lb and from 2 to 4.5 ft in diameter. Their composition is 78 percent copper and 22 percent tin. Each bell features the Great Seal of the United States, the Great Seal of the Realm, and an image of the flower London Pride in relief. Because the tower was not designed to hold bells, the architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill and the structural engineering firm Cagley & Associates were hired to modify the tower so that it could accommodate the weight of the bells and the stress of their swings.</p><br>
<p>The Washington Ringing Society sounds the Bells of Congress every Thursday evening and on special occasions.</p><br>
<p>Prior to the 2014 renovation, National Park Service rangers provided tours of the Clock Tower. After stopping for three years during the tower&#39;s renovation, the ranger tours resumed in February 2017.</p><br>
<p>The Federal Trade Commission Building is a federal building which serves as the headquarters of the Federal Trade Commission. Completed in 1938, the building was designated by Congress as a contributing structure to the Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site in 1966, and it was subsequently listed in the National Register of Historic Places.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>Issues of antitrust legislation, tariff reduction, and tax reform dominated the 1912 presidential race, which culminated in the election of Woodrow Wilson as the twenty-eighth president of the United States. Honoring his campaign promises, Wilson signed the Federal Trade Commission Act in 1914. The following year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) absorbed the duties of the Bureau of Corporations in the United States Department of Commerce. The FTC conducted investigations, published reports, and scrutinized industries such as meatpacking. It could challenge unfair competition and practices in trade and commerce.</p><br>
<p>The FTC occupied various sites in the District of Columbia during its early years. The Public Buildings Act of 1926 authorized Congress to fund the Federal Triangle project, a large-scale initiative to develop a 70-acre site between the White House and the USA Capitol with federal buildings executed in classical styles of architecture. At the urging of the American Institute of Architects, the USA Treasury Department turned over principal design responsibilities to private architects. Edward H. Bennett of the Chicago firm Bennett, Parsons and Frost oversaw the project and designed the final building, which would become the headquarters for the FTC.</p><br>
<p>In 1937, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt laid the building cornerstone with the silver trowel that George Washington used to lay the cornerstone of the USA Capitol in 1793. In his speech, Roosevelt expressed hope that the "permanent home of the Federal Trade Commission stand for all time as a symbol of the purpose of the government to insist on a greater application of the golden rule to the conduct of corporation and business and enterprises in their relationship to the body politic."</p><br>
<p>Located at the eastern point of the Federal Triangle, it was originally called the Apex Building. Staff moved into the building on April 21, 1938. Over the years, the FTC&#39;s responsibilities expanded to include the enforcement of credit laws, oversight of the National Do Not Call Registry, and the development of policies concerning Internet fraud and privacy.</p><br>
<p>Loyalty Board reviews occurred in the Apex Building in 1948 concurrently with the first month of the Hiss-Chambers Case, as reported by the New York Times.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The Federal Trade Commission Building is designed in the Classical Revival style of architecture. It is a refined style that conveys the dignity and stability of the federal government, which was particularly important during the Great Depression. The buildings within the Federal Triangle were designed according to principles of the City Beautiful movement, which espoused the use of formal arrangements, axial streets, and monumental, classical public buildings in city planning. Earlier in his career, the FTC Buildings architect, Edward H. Bennett, was an assistant to prominent architect and planner Daniel H. Burnham, a pioneer in city planning responsible for the layout of the 1893 Worlds Columbian Exposition in Chicago, as well as designs for Chicago and San Francisco. Burnham’s influence is evident in Bennett&#39;s work on the FTC Building.</p><br>
<p>Bennett&#39;s design emphasizes the relationship between the building and its site. It is located on a triangular parcel of land bounded by Pennsylvania and Constitution avenues and Seventh Street, NW; the building has an essentially triangular footprint with a semicircular portico at one end. An interior courtyard provides natural light to interior offices. The building has undergone few changes since its construction.</p><br>
<p>The seven-story building sits on a simple base of Mount Airy granite. The walls above are clad in large, smooth blocks of Indiana limestone laid in a regular pattern. Bays on the midsection of each elevation are divided by pilasters (attached columns) or colonnades that form a loggia (open-air, arcaded space). The seventh story is slightly recessed. The portico is supported by Ionic columns. Aluminum window and door grilles accent the exterior. The low hipped roof is covered with red terra-cotta tiles.</p><br>
<p>The interior spaces are relatively restrained; only public spaces and hearing rooms are afforded a measure of distinction. Three lobbies on the first floor share similar features. Floors are covered with large, dark green terrazzo panels with black borders. Walls are clad in Neshobe gray marble with black marble on fluted pilasters, and plaster covers the ceiling and cornice. The FTC Building was one of the first federal buildings in Washington to have an integral air-conditioning system and a basement parking garage.</p><br>
<p>As part of the building plan, the Section of Painting and Sculpture oversaw the design and installation of several significant works of art. Two bas-relief medallions with eagles are located on the northwest corner elevation. Officials requested that the artist, Sidney Waugh, develop a fresh interpretation on the symbol, and the resulting design is highly stylized, relating well to the buildings other modern works. Large aluminum entrance grilles function as doors on the Constitution Avenue elevation. Images on the grilles, which were designed by William McVey, portray a continuum of commerce-related transportation methods. Depictions include Christopher Columbuss 14th-century ships, an 18th-century merchant ship, 19th-century clipper ship, paddlewheel steamship, early 20th-century ocean liner, and seaplane. Above the grilles are rectangular panels, each executed by a different artist, that represent foreign trade, agriculture, shipping, and industry.</p><br>
<p>Two nearly identical allegorical sculptural groups called Man Controlling Trade are located at the east ends of the two avenue elevations. Michael Lantz designed the sculptures in the Art Deco style. In each, a muscular man holds a straining stallion, symbolizing the enormity of trade and the government in its role as enforcer. The sculptures have become the agency&#39;s informal logo.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1914: Federal Trade Commission established</p><br>
<p>1926: Public Buildings Act of 1926</p><br>
<p>1937: President Franklin Delano Roosevelt lays cornerstone</p><br>
<p>1938: Construction completed and building occupied</p><br>
<p>1966: Designated a contributing building within the Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site and listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Location: 600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW</p><br>
<p>Architects: Bennett, Parsons and Frost</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1937-1938</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Classical Revival</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Contributing building to the Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Granite and Limestone</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Part of Federal Triangle development initiative; Colonnade; Man Controlling Trade sculptures</p><br>
<p>The United States Tax Court Building is a courthouse located at 400 Second Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Judiciary Square neighborhood.</p><br>
<p>It serves as the headquarters of the United States Tax Court.</p><br>
<p>Built in 1972, the building and its landscaped plaza occupy the entire block bound by D Street, E Street, Second Street, and Third street.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>Government officials selected master architect Victor A. Lundy, renowned for his sculptural architectural designs and innovative uses of engineering technology, to design the building in 1965. They awarded Lundy the contract without competition, expressing their confidence in his abilities to design a Modern landmark. The design follows the "Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture" issued by the Ad Hoc Committee on Federal Office Space at the request of President John F. Kennedy in 1962. In an attempt to improve federal buildings, the committee recommended architecture that would convey the "dignity, enterprise, vigor, and stability of the American Government". Designers and officials were encouraged to pay special attention to site selection and layout, including landscape development.</p><br>
<p>In the 1930s, the USA Board of Tax Appeals, later renamed the Tax Court of the United States, was housed in the Internal Revenue Service Building in the Federal Triangle. By 1956, overcrowding and the desire to separate judicial and executive powers led to initial attempts to relocate the court. In 1962, Secretary of the Treasury Douglas Dillon appealed to the USA General Services Administration (GSA) to incorporate funds for the design of a new building in its upcoming budget. GSA subsequently allocated $450,000.</p><br>
<p>In 1966, GSA approved Lundy&#39;s concept for a building with strong end masses, a central cantilevered courtroom block, and a landscaped plaza. Despite enthusiastic support for the project, the Vietnam War triggered funding cuts that delayed construction until 1972, when GSA secured a site and held a groundbreaking ceremony. The completed building was dedicated on November 22, 1974, the fiftieth anniversary of the Revenue Act that created the court. Employees occupied the building on January 20, 1975. Due to escalating construction costs, the plaza was not completed until 1981.</p><br>
<p>Lundy&#39;s design won a GSA Honor Award in the first Design Awards Program held in 1972.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>Describing his landmark building, Lundy stated, "What Ive done is taken a monolithic block and broken it apart". Striking and bold, the building exemplifies the culmination of Modern design principles coupled with technological advances that allowed for a new type of building. The building is not only one of the most sophisticated and successful examples of Modernism in the District of Columbia, but also in the governments inventory. Hailing the design in 1967, distinguished New York Times architectural critic Ada Louise Huxtable described the plans for the USA Tax Court Building as "a progressive, sensitive, contemporary solution fully responsive to Washington&#39;s classical tradition and yet fully part of the mid-20th century - a period of exceptional vigor and beauty in the history of structure and design".</p><br>
<p>The building presents itself as a cube that has been deconstructed into four units: a dramatic cantilevered courtroom block on the front with office blocks on each side and to the rear. These four components surmount a single-story base called the podium. The building is clad in flame-treated Royal Pearl granite from Georgia and bronze-tinted, heat-absorbing, glare-reducing glass with slim bronze-anodized aluminum mullions. Lundy&#39;s skillful use of materials and voids between blocks articulate the units.</p><br>
<p>Lundy employed state-of-the-art engineering technology to achieve his design. The buildings structure not only allowed Lundys design to be securely executed, but also is a significant engineering accomplishment. Compression and post-tensioned bridges, steel cables hidden within the buildings walls, and six slender columns together support the imposing 4,000-ton cantilevered courtroom block, which projects over the entrance. The compression and tension bridges also function as interior circulation bridges. In uniting the interior and exterior of the building, Lundy stated, "Inside this building, you will always have a sense of where you are and of the sky outside". The buildings exterior forms indicate the interior spatial arrangements.</p><br>
<p>The interior is defined by a soaring four-story central public hall, also called the Hall of Justice, crowned by a clerestory roof that admits light into the space. Lundy created a hierarchy of interior spaces through his use of materials, which were restrained yet wholly appropriate for the Modern era. The walls of the public hall consist of exposed, board-formed concrete and the exterior bronze-tinted glass curtain wall. The floor is covered with Royal Pearl granite pavers. The same granite also surfaces the original security desk in the center of the hall. The upper three stories of the hall consist of projecting cantilevered galleries that provide circulation for the upper stories. A screen of louvered teak strips extends from the second to fourth floors and allows natural light to filter into the spaces. The hall ceiling is covered in tongue-in-groove hemlock planks.</p><br>
<p>The courtroom block projects from the east wall of the public hall. On the third floor, a large ceremonial courtroom is flanked by two smaller courtrooms. A curved wall encloses the central courtroom, which contains a semi-circular judges&#39; bench. Courtrooms are finished in full-height teak veneer panels and strips. Hemlock grilles cover the ceilings.</p><br>
<p>Lundy designed the plaza, located on the Second Street side of the building, with a central reflecting pool flanked by landscaped areas. Interstate 395 runs directly beneath the plaza. Its formal design provides an appropriate approach to the colossal flight of stairs leading into the monumental building.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1924: Revenue Act creates the United States Board of Tax Appeals</p><br>
<p>1966: Commission of Fine Arts approves Lundy&#39;s design</p><br>
<p>1972: Building receives GSA Honor Award in the First Biennial Design Awards Program</p><br>
<p>1972–1974: USA Tax Court Building constructed</p><br>
<p>1974: Building dedicated on 50th anniversary of the Revenue Act</p><br>
<p>1981: Landscaped plaza completed</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Location: 400 Second Street, NW</p><br>
<p>Architect: Victor A. Lundy</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1972–1974</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Modern (Formalism)</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Granite and bronze-tinted glass</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Cantilevered courtroom block; Hall of Justice; Landscaped plaza</p><br>
<p>The Medina Armory is located on Pearl Street in Medina, New York, United States. It is a large stone building constructed at the beginning of the 20th century.</p><br>
<p>State architect George Heins designed it for what was at the time the 29th Separate Company of the New York Army National Guard. It was his first armory for the state. The 29th was later absorbed into other New York-based Guard and Reserve units. After closing in 1977, it is now the local YMCA. In 1995 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places along with other New York armories.</p><br>
<h2>Building</h2><br>
<p>The armory is located on a 1.1 acre lot that takes up the eastern half of the block formed by Lee Place, Pearl Street and Prospect Avenue (NY 63) a few blocks northeast of downtown Medina. The surrounding properties are all residential, with the exception of a large former school building to the west on Catherine Street. The terrain is level.</p><br>
<p>The building itself is a two-story structure of Medina sandstone laid in a random ashlar pattern with a raised foundation. It consists of two sections: the main administration building, facing south to Prospect Street, and an attached drill shed on the north. A modern flat-roofed garage is attached to the northeast of the drill shed, projecting eastward. The southeast portion of the lot is given over to a large lawn with some planted shrubs surrounding the flagpole.</p><br>
<p>In the center of the south (front) facade of the administration building is the projecting entrance pavilion. On either side two engaged octagonal towers rise to crenelated parapets. The entrance itself is a recessed segmental arched sally port with a pair of paneled oak doors below a tripartite transom. Stepped gabled ends project from the hipped roof shingled in asphalt with standing seam metal. The tall, narrow windows have iron grilles on the first story, matched in the rectangular basement windows.</p><br>
<p>On the side elevations of the nine-bay drill shed are paired narrow flat-arched windows set off by buttresses. Secondary entrances on both sides have four-paneled doors with similar transoms to the front entrance. The north (rear) has three groups of tall, narrow windows with buttresses.</p><br>
<p>Inside, most of the original finishings remains. The entrance hall has a large oak staircase, the company meeting room a tin ceiling. The walls have their original oak baseboard and plaster; many of the oak doors are original. At the time of the armory&#39;s listing on the Register, many rooms had been partitioned. The drill shed has exposed steel trusses, wainscoted ceilings, a balcony and wooden floors.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Col. Hesikiah Bowen raised Bowens Rifles, the precursor unit to the 29th, in 1838 in response to the escalating tensions of the Aroostook War in Maine, which threatened to start a third war between the United States and Britain. Hostilities were avoided and the unit was never deployed, but it survived for several years afterwards. Later another unit, Linus Beechers Light Guards, replaced them although it was primarily a social organization. That unit eventually became the Pitts Light Guards.</p><br>
<p>In late 1891, the 29th was formally mustered under the command of Capt. A.S. Ross. Two other officers commanded 55 enlisted men. At first they used the floors of a Main Street building, but soon the community began to agitate for the construction of an armory. Assemblyman Fred Downs lobbied the state government, and later in the decade the project was approved. The 29th soon saw its first action during the Spanish–American War.</p><br>
<p>The present lot was acquired in 1899, and by September of that year the foundations were being dug. The state approved the completed building late in 1901, two years later. The land and construction together had cost $57,160 ($ in contemporary dollars).</p><br>
<p>It was the first of seven extant armories designed by George Heins, who had replaced Isaac Perry as New Yorks state architect. Like his predecessor, Heins used many features of medieval military architecture such as towers, crenelation, parapets and sally ports, for an overall Gothic effect. His interpretations of those forms and details differ by being more modern and stylized than Perrys. A distinctive touch in Medina was the use of locally quarried Medina sandstone, at the time a highly popular material that was the county&#39;s major non-agricultural product.</p><br>
<p>Originally the armory had a flat roof. Renovations in 1912 gave it the current hip-gable combination. The following year the unit was called up to help suppress the streetcar strike in Buffalo. By then it would be known as Company F of the New York National Guard&#39;s Third Regiment.</p><br>
<p>In April 1917, the unit was deployed into World War I as part of the 27th Division, drawn entirely from the New York National Guard. A Buffalo unit was stationed in the armory in their absence as a home guard. In 1919, after the war, the unit became Company F of the 108th Infantry. During World War II, it was Company L of the 65th Regiment.&lt;ref name="nrhpinv_ny" /</p><br>
<p>For the last three years of the Guard&#39;s use of the armory, the unit was Company C of the 174th Infantry. In 1977, the state announced it would be closed and its units moved to other locations. The Medina community, not wanting to see the building become neglected, formed the Armory Action Committee. It worked to adapt the armory for local recreational use, partitioning the office space in the process. After 20 years the Lake Plains YMCA, which bought the building from the state. was fully established in the building. It continues to operate, with over a thousand members and a wide range of programs.</p><br>
<p>The USA Customhouse is a historic custom house located in Savannah in Chatham County, Georgia. It was built to house offices of the United States Customs Service.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>The impressive USA Custom House symbolizes Savannahs importance to Georgias import-export trade during the 18th and 19th centuries. The site is also significant in Savannahs history. A wood-frame residence used by James Edward Oglethorpe, founder (in 1733) of the Colony of Georgia and designer of Savannahs town plan, was previously on the site. The federal courthouse and the Tabernacle, where John Wesley preached his first sermon in America, were located on the rear of this lot.</p><br>
<p>Savannah&#39;s first USA Custom House opened in 1789 on Commerce Row on East Bay Street. The second, opened in 1819 on East Bryan Street, burned in 1837. In 1845 the federal government purchased a site at East Bay and Bull Streets for a third USA Custom House. New York architect John S. Norris (1804–1876) served as designer and supervisor of construction. The building was the first of eighteen commissions Norris designed while living in Savannah from 1846 to 1861. The cornerstone was laid on July 20, 1848.</p><br>
<p>The building was completed in 1852 and had the USA Post Office in the basement, the Customs Service on the first floor, and the federal courts on the second floor. The notorious case involving the yacht Wanderer was tried here in 1860. It was the last documented violation of the law against the importation of slaves. USA control of the building temporarily halted in January 1861 when the Confederate flag was raised above it the day after the Georgia State Convention adopted the Ordinance of Secession. In 1864 General William T. Sherman occupied Savannah and returned control of the building to the Union. In 1889 Colonel John H. Deveaux worked in the building as the first African American USA Customs Collector.</p><br>
<p>The USA Custom House was designated as a contributing building in the Savannah National Historic Landmark District in 1966. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>Constructed entirely of stone, the USA Custom House in Savannah represents John Norris advocacy of fireproof construction, an interest fully supported by the city, which had experienced several devastating fires over its short history. Norris interest in fire protection was instrumental in changing the construction methods and physical appearance of buildings in Savannah through the use of materials such as brick and stone.</p><br>
<p>The USA Custom House opened in 1852, four years after construction began. On June 5, 1852 the Savannah Journal reported: "It must be said that if our Custom House was a long time growing, it has grown to be a perfect thing at last."</p><br>
<p>The monumental Greek Revival USA Custom House is sited at the corner of Bull and East Bay Streets. A distinctive cast-iron fence with balusters in the design of a closed tobacco leaf and fleur-de-lis surrounds the building. The building is eleven bays wide by five bays deep and constructed of 32-inch blocks of load-bearing, gray granite stones quarried in Quincy, Massachusetts. A pedimented portico supported by six monolithic columns dominates the main facade. These columns, estimated to weigh between 15 and 20 tons each, were freighted from Massachusetts lashed to the decks of ships. It reportedly took 30 days to transport the columns from the riverbank to the site and an additional 30 days to raise them into position. The fluted columns have capitals elaborately carved with a tobacco leaf motif. The striking granite stair provides access to the ceremonial public entrance. An unadorned entablature spans the building and the words "United States Custom House" are inscribed into the frieze of the pediment.</p><br>
<p>The focal point of the interior is the magnificent solid granite stair at the center of the first floor. It is constructed so that each step locks into the next without obvious perpendicular support. A massive granite octagonal column at the basement level provides the necessary structural support for the stair. The stair&#39;s distinctive cast-iron railing consists of balusters displaying the same closed tobacco leaf motif seen on the exterior and newel posts replicating the massive granite columns on the primary exterior elevation. A semi-circular rotunda encases the stairwell and original wood panel doors follow the curvature of the surrounding walls.</p><br>
<p>Still serving its original purpose with few changes over one hundred fifty years, the USA Custom House is a monument to Savannah&#39;s historic importance as a port city.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1789: The first USA Custom House in Savannah opens in Commerce Row on East Bay Street.</p><br>
<p>1819: The second USA Custom House is built at East Bryan Street; the building is destroyed by fire in 1837.</p><br>
<p>1845: The federal government purchases a lot on the corner of East Bay and Bull Streets for the third USA Custom House.</p><br>
<p>1848–1852: The USA Custom House is constructed to house multiple federal agencies.</p><br>
<p>1860: The infamous case of the yacht "Wanderer," the last documented violation of the law against the transportation of slaves, is tried in the building.</p><br>
<p>1861: The Confederate flag is flown above the USA Custom House one day after adoption of the Ordinance of Secession by the Georgia State Convention.</p><br>
<p>1864: General William T. Sherman occupies Savannah securing federal property for the United States.</p><br>
<p>1966: The USA Custom House is designated as a contributing building in the Savannah National Historic Landmark District.</p><br>
<p>1974: The USA Custom House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Architect: John S. Norris</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1848–1852</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Contributing building in the Savannah National Historic Landmark District</p><br>
<p>Location: 1–3 East Bay Street</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Greek Revival</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Gray granite</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Portico interior staircase</p><br>
<p>The Tomochichi Federal Building and United States Courthouse is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia located in Savannah, Georgia. It was built between 1894 and 1899, and substantially enlarged in 1932. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, and was renamed in honor of the Creek Indian leader Tomochichi in 2005.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>The building is located on a prominent site within the city&#39;s National Historic Landmark District. The building occupies an entire city block bounded by Bull, York, Whitaker, and State streets, adjacent to Wright Square. The building makes an important visual contribution architecturally to the city due to the high quality of its design and materials, and as such is individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Designed in the Second Renaissance Revival style, with richly carved ornamentation, it is one of the most distinguished and imposing buildings of its era in Savannah.</p><br>
<p>The building was constructed primarily to house the Savannah post office, which was previously located in the USA Custom House. In 1889, work had just begun on a new post office at the corner of York and Abercorn Streets when construction was suspended because the citizens of Savannah wanted a "more suitable" building than the one originally planned. As a result, the USA Congress was persuaded to appropriate additional funds for the new post office, and in 1894, excavations began at a new site in the southern half of the block now entirely occupied by the building. This site itself was notable in Savannahs history as the former location of a courthouse where John Wesley, founder of Methodism, had preached in 1736 and 1737. The original building was designed between 1893 and 1894, during W. J. Edbrookes tenure as Supervising Architect of the Treasury. The building cornerstone lists Jeremiah O&#39;Rourke as the architect.</p><br>
<p>Originally designated as the USA Post Office and Courthouse, the structure was later renamed the Federal Building and USA Courthouse. By July 30, 1899, all departments of the post office were in the new government building. It also housed the USA Courts, the USA Engineers, and the USA Weather Bureau. The building was enlarged between 1930 and 1932, when it was extended north to encompass the remainder of the block. Today, the building serves as offices for the USA District Court and Court-related functions.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>Designed in the Second Renaissance Revival style, the original portion of the building is constructed entirely of white Georgia marble, and features the typical Italianate tripartite facade divisions characteristic of the style. The richly varied fenestration is one of the most prominent characteristics of the building. Various forms are skillfully used, resulting in distinct yet unified facade treatments.</p><br>
<p>The original portion of the Federal Building and USA Courthouse (visible on the York Street side and in the southernmost bay on Bull Street) is a richly ornamented, rectilinear building, to which an L-shaped wing was added in 1932 to form the current U-shaped plan. The main facade of the original building faced President Street. In the 1930s, President Street was closed and the building was extended north to State Street, enlarging it to over twice its original size. The 1932 addition was executed in marble with terra cotta ornamentation emulating the marble detailing of the original building.</p><br>
<p>The building is three stories in height, with a granite/ashlar foundation. On both the original building and the 1932 addition, scale is carefully manipulated as the building rises on the exterior-from the heavily rusticated base with massive semicircular arched openings, to the third floor where triple arched openings are used to give the appearance of a colonnade.</p><br>
<p>The buildings exterior ornamentation, both that executed in marble on the original portion of the building and the terra-cotta detailing on the extension, is rich and varied. Motifs relating to nature—including flowers, animals, and fruit-are incorporated into the frieze (the carved band below the eaves) alternating with medallions of variously colored marble. Similar motifs are repeated above certain windows and at the bases of the main entrance arches. Two carved faces (one on the north facade and one on the south) are traditionally said to be likenesses of the architect, Jeremiah ORourke.</p><br>
<p>Arched entrance openings, which occur singly, in pairs, or tangentially connected, on the street level of the building give the appearance of an arcade. On the second level, flat-topped windows are recessed in double-arched openings, continuing themes established on the street level. These arched openings are successfully mixed with flat-topped window openings. The third level displays an even more intricate composition of forms. Here, flat-topped windows recessed in triple-arched openings are combined with flat-topped windows topped with elaborately carved semicircular panels. These latter openings, which are hung singly and in triplicate, provide continuous visual unification of patterns and forms. The elaborate carvings over many of the openings are similar to the stylized motifs found elsewhere on the building. The walls terminate in a Corinthian entablature consisting of an elaborate frieze, dentil course, and bracketed cornice. The red pantile roof with tile cresting and ornamental ball finials was manufactured by the well-known Ludowici Roof Tile Company.</p><br>
<p>One particularly imposing feature of the building is a 150-foot marble bell tower rising from the north center of the original 1899 building. The tower is square in plan with two levels of open loggias near the top. These loggias are arcaded with colored marble disks above the architrave on the first level, and arched openings with a bracketed balcony on the second.</p><br>
<p>Although the interior has been substantially renovated to accommodate various tenants through the years, original materials-including 1899 fireplace mantles in some rooms on the upper floors of the south wing-are still evident in parts of the building. In other areas, later dropped ceilings have been removed, returning many rooms to their original height and exposing original window transoms. In the 1980s a new courtroom was constructed in the first floor postal work area of the 1899 building. In 1995, the attic was converted to a fitness center with a cathedral ceiling. Recent USA General Service Administration preservation efforts include restoration of the third floor courtroom in the 1932 addition and replication of historic lighting in the 1899 lobbies.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1894-1899: Construction of the USA Post Office and Courthouse, later renamed the Federal Building and USA Courthouse, takes place.</p><br>
<p>1932: A major addition more than doubles the building&#39;s size.</p><br>
<p>1974: The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.</p><br>
<p>1992-93: The USA General Services Administration completes the restoration of the lobby, third-floor courtroom, and other spaces.</p><br>
<p>1999: USA Postal Service vacates the building.</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Architect: Jeremiah O&#39;Rourke</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1894-1899, Addition 1930-1932</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Location: 125-127 Bull Street, on Wright Square</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Second Renaissance Revival</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: White Georgia marble, terra cotta, and marble ornamentation</p><br>
<p>Prominent Feature: Marble bell tower and elaborate exterior ornamentation</p><br>
<h2>Attribution</h2><br>
<p>The William Augustus Bootle Federal Building and USA Courthouse, also and formerly known as Old USA Post Office and Federal Building, is a courthouse in Macon, Georgia of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia. Completed in 1908, it initially served as a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, until the creation of the Middle District in 1926. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places  in 1972 as "Old USA Post Office and Federal Building", and also is included in the NRHP-listed Macon Historic District. It was renamed in honor of district court judge William Augustus Bootle in 1998.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>In 1896, the rapidly growing city of Macon, Georgia, needed a larger post office and courthouse. After much debate, officials decided to construct a new building rather than expand an existing federal courthouse. However, Judge Emory Speer refused to vacate that building, insisting that only an addition was necessary and major construction would disrupt the court. Speer resisted for years, but the original building was finally demolished in 1906.</p><br>
<p>James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect of the USA Treasury Department, designed the new building in the Beaux Arts Classicism style, which he believed conveyed the dignity of the Federal government. By September 1908, the building was completed. The post office occupied the first floor, and courtrooms and judges&#39; chambers were on the second floor.</p><br>
<p>The building was renamed the William Augustus Bootle Federal Building and USA Courthouse in 1998 to honor one of Georgia&#39;s most important judges who presided there. President Dwight Eisenhower appointed Judge Bootle to the USA District Court for the Middle District of Georgia in 1954. Judge Bootle was responsible for several landmark civil rights rulings in the state. In 1961, he ordered the University of Georgia to admit two African-American students, Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter, who were denied admission because of race. The case, Holmes v. Danner, had a major impact on integrating higher education in Georgia. Judge Bootle issued his ruling on Friday, January 6, 1961, and called for immediate action. Holmes and Hunter registered the following Monday and attended classes two days later. A related ruling by Judge Bootle denied Governor Ernest Vandiver the ability to refuse state funding to the university if it was integrated. Judge Bootle also ordered the desegregation of the Macon bus system in 1962 and Bibb County public schools in 1970. After a distinguished career, Judge Bootle died in early 2005.</p><br>
<p>The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and is within the boundaries of the National Register of Historic Places Macon Historic District, which was listed in 1974.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The building displays many characteristics of the Beaux Arts Classicism style of architecture. Architect James Knox Taylor was responsible for the construction of many classically inspired buildings during his Federal career. Taylor believed that classical architecture espoused the symbolic value of Federal buildings as lasting monuments to the ideals of democracy. The building contains many character-defining features such as the central pavilion with a pediment (triangular gable), monumental paired columns, balustrades, and decorative swags and garlands. The rusticated first story features deep horizontal grooves between the marble blocks.</p><br>
<p>The facade is clad in white marble on the front and side elevations, but cream-colored glazed brick is on the rear portion. The building sits on a raised granite base. Above the rusticated first floor, the marble is laid without recessed joints, resulting in a smooth finish. A dentil course of small blocks extends across the facade and is another classical feature.</p><br>
<p>Fenestration includes rectangular windows topped with marble pediments and arched windows with prominent keystones. Three large windows on the second story are each topped with fanlights. Plaques with swag designs are located above the keystones.</p><br>
<p>The original portion of the building had a U-shaped plan with an open light court that provided illumination to interior spaces. In 1917, a wing was added to the rear of the building. The addition respected the original design and used similar materials, but was less ornamental than the original facade. In 1934, a second addition was completed, providing another courtroom and more office space. Both were constructed under the auspices of the Supervising Architect&#39;s office.</p><br>
<p>The lobby is divided into two areas: a postal lobby in the original portion of the building and a public lobby that is part of the 1934 addition. In the postal lobby, verde (green) marble pilasters (attached columns) with scrolled Ionic capitals decorate the walls. The floors are terrazzo with brass dividers and verde marble borders. The same marble is used for the wainscot. Heavily veined white marble veneer covers the upper portions of the walls. The ornate ceiling is executed in plaster and features beams that divide the ceiling into distinct panels. Each panel is outlined with a dentil course and egg-and-dart decorative molding. A decorative band called a guilloche with floral patterns also defines each panel. The centers each have a plaster medallion outlined with an acanthus leaf design. Cylindrical brass light fixtures descend from the centers of the panels. Original octagonal postal tables that sit upon verde marble bases remain in the lobby. Decorative finishes and details in the public lobby are similar to those in the postal lobby and provide continuity to the interior. However, ceiling panels in the public lobby are less ornate.</p><br>
<p>The main staircase ascends from the first floor. Its newel posts and baluster are cast iron with a wood railing, and treads are white marble. Elevators have been replaced, but the exterior finishes are original and include doors with brass panels and verde marble surrounds.</p><br>
<p>The second floor contains the ceremonial courtroom. Oak wainscot covers the walls and an ornamental cornice encompasses the top of the room. Original furnishings in the room include the judges bench, witness box, clerks desk, court rail and benches, and jury box. Original lighting fixtures illuminate the powder-blue and white vaulted ceiling.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1905–1908</p><br>
<p>1906: Old building demolished after lengthy delay</p><br>
<p>1908: New building completed</p><br>
<p>1917: First addition completed</p><br>
<p>1934: Second addition completed</p><br>
<p>1961–1970: Landmark civil rights rulings by Judge Bootle</p><br>
<p>1972: Building listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>1974: Macon Historic District listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>1998: Building renamed to honor Judge William Augustus Bootle</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Architectural style: Beaux Arts Classicism</p><br>
<p>Primary material: white marble</p><br>
<p>Prominent features: central pavilion with pediment first-floor lobbies; second-floor courtroom</p><br>
<p>The Elbert P. Tuttle USA Court of Appeals Building, also known as USA Post Office and Courthouse, is a historic Renaissance Revival style courthouse located in the Fairlie-Poplar district of Downtown Atlanta in Fulton County, Georgia. It is the courthouse for the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.</p><br>
<p>Due to its role as the first courthouse in which many key cases of the civil rights movement were heard, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. It was listed as a contributing building within the Fairlie Poplar Historic District in 1984. In 2015 it was designated a National Historic Landmark</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>In the years following the American Civil War, Atlanta&#39;s population expanded rapidly. To meet increased demands for federal services, Congress approved funds for a new building containing both postal and courthouse functions. When ground was broken in 1907, workers discovered a natural rock formation that resembled an American eagle, which observers interpreted to mean that the federal building was destined for the site. James Knox Taylor, supervising architect of the USA Treasury Department, designed the building, which was completed in 1910 and deemed by the press to be "a great step forward in the scheme of beautifying Atlanta."</p><br>
<p>When the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals was established in 1981, it occupied the building, which was renamed in 1989 to honor Elbert Parr Tuttle (1897–1996), a renowned judge.</p><br>
<p>Many important cases have been argued in the courthouse. In 2000, the court upheld the American government&#39;s decision that Elian Gonzalez, a Cuban boy who was rescued off the Florida coast after his mother died during an attempt to enter the United States, should be returned to the custody of his father, in Cuba. The same year, several lawsuits involving the presidential election were decided. In Bush v. Gore, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a petition to stop manual recounts of ballots. The controversy eventually was decided by the Supreme Court.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>James Knox Taylor designed the Elbert P. Tuttle USA Court of Appeals Building in the Second Renaissance Revival style of architecture. The dignified style was commonly used for federal buildings during the early twentieth century.</p><br>
<p>The building occupies the block bounded by Forsyth, Fairlie, Poplar, and Walton streets in downtown Atlanta. It is five stories in height and has a U-shaped footprint with a central courtyard. The building is clad in granite on the street elevations, while the sides that enclose the courtyard are clad in buff-colored brick. The facade faces Forsyth Street. The first story is defined by rusticated granite and round-arched openings. Separating the first and second stories is a stringcourse with medallions and incised vertical designs topped with a wave pattern. Windows on the second level each have a classical balustrade, frieze with carved classical motifs, and molded cornice supported by scrolled brackets. The third and fourth stories are marked by large round-arched windows with scrolled keystones. These windows denote the interior location of the courtrooms. The arched windows are divided by classical pilasters (attached columns) and circular medallions. The top level has small rectangular windows separated by cartouches (decorative ovals). A heavy, ornate cornice with a dentil (rectangular block) course and carved anthemion motifs tops the building.</p><br>
<p>Other elevations contain a similar level of detail, although they lack the two-story arched windows. Windows on other elevations are topped with pediments containing cartouches or lintels with medallions or carved keystones. Some windows contain carved serpent-and-staff designs, which were associated with Mercury, the Roman messenger god who was an early symbol of the postal service in the United States. An iron arch spans a loading dock in the courtyard area on Fairlie Street.</p><br>
<p>Many original interior finishes and public spaces remain. The dominant feature of the first-floor lobby is its vaulted ceiling, which springs from a series of pilasters. At each end of the lobby are domed ceilings. Window and door frames and wainscot are marble, while upper wall surfaces are covered with plaster. Original arched, bronze casement windows remain in place. Beneath each window is an original wall-mounted marble letter table resting on cast-iron brackets. Floors were originally marble, but are now covered with green terrazzo panels trimmed with gray terrazzo. A mural by an unknown artist depicts a classical seated figure of Justice flanked by allegorical representations of Agriculture and Industry. A staircase with marble treads and wainscot and a cast-iron baluster with a swag pattern leads to upper floors.</p><br>
<p>The main courtrooms are the most significant spaces on the third floor. The most impressive is the two-story en banc courtroom that is designed for all of the appellate judges to meet to hear a case. Walls are covered with elaborately carved, stained oak paneling decorated with garlands, scrolled brackets, and molding. Large, round-arch windows are balanced with recessed arched bays on the opposite walls. Bronze grilles are located throughout. The maple floor is laid in a herringbone pattern and an elaborate, plaster, coffered ceiling with rosettes tops the room. Another appellate courtroom, although slightly smaller in scale, is equally impressive. Similar finishes are used on the walls and floor, and a gallery of oak benches provides seating for observers.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1906-1910: USA Post Office constructed</p><br>
<p>1974: Building listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>1981: USA Court of Appeals (Eleventh Circuit) established</p><br>
<p>1989: Building renamed to honor Judge Elbert Parr Tuttle</p><br>
<p>2000: Elian Gonzalez case and Bush v. Gore argued</p><br>
<p>2015: Building designated a National Historic Landmark</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Location: 56 Forsyth Street</p><br>
<p>Architect: James Knox Taylor</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1906-1910</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Second Renaissance Revival</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places and a contributing building within the Fairlie Poplar Historic District</p><br>
<p>Primary Material: Granite</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Ornate classical exterior; Vaulted lobby ceiling</p><br>
<p>The Woodruff House is located on NY 32 in Cornwall, New York, United States, a short distance south of the hamlet of Vails Gate. It is a small stone building dating to the early 19th century.</p><br>
<p>It is one of the few remaining stone houses from that period of the town&#39;s history. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.</p><br>
<h2>Building</h2><br>
<p>The house is situated on a lot on the west side of Route 32, with a very short setback from the busy highway. Two large Norway spruce trees screen the front from the road. The surrounding area is mostly either open space or commercial, with some remaining residential property mixed in. To the west there are views of Schunemunk Mountain, Orange County&#39;s highest peak.</p><br>
<p>It is a one-and-a-half-story, three-bay structure, rectangular with a one-story frame addition on the west (rear) facade. The main block is sided in fieldstone. On all but the east (front) side it is not laid in any approximation of a pattern. On the east, there are large blocks approximating quoins on the corners and the stones are laid in an approximation of courses. It is topped by a flush gable roof, shingled in cedar shake with simple cornice pierced by two pent-roofed dormer windows and a single stone chimney.</p><br>
<p>The entrance is located in the northernmost of the three front bays. It has a small gabled portico also covered in shake. On the west, two identical dormers pierce the roof. The addition is sided in shake as well.</p><br>
<p>Behind a metal storm door is a wood paneled door. It leads to a side hall that opens on to living and dining rooms. They retain many original finishes, including wideboard flooring, hand-hewn ceiling beams, two fireplaces with Federal style mantels and marble surrounds, and both sawn and hand-hewn floor joists. In the cellar, an opening for the original Dutch oven is still visible. The rear wing houses a modern kitchen.</p><br>
<p>To the north is a clapboard-sided garage with a wood-shingled gabled roof. It is modern and not considered a contributing resource to the property&#39;s historic character.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The first mention of the house is an 1856 sale from Benjamin Woodruff to Patrick McGonigal. The house was built in 1790, according to Orange County, NY, tax records. At the time the highway that would become Route 32 was already present.</p><br>
<p>It is one of the few small houses, and one of the only stone houses, remaining in Cornwall from the late 18th century. The rear wing was added in the 20th century; otherwise no significant changes have been made. McGonigal left it to his widow, Roseanne, at his death in 1868 and it has remained a private residence since.</p><br>
<p>The North Main–Bank Streets Historic District is located along those streets in Albion, New York, United States. It is one of two historic districts in the village, comprising the commercial core of the village, developed during its years as a major stop on the Erie Canal. A portion of the canal, now the New York State Barge Canal, and two of its bridges are within the district.</p><br>
<p>Its buildings represent a diverse collection of architectural styles over a century of development. All but one are considered contributing properties to its historic character. They include an opera house and the village hall. It is one of the most intact commercial areas along the former canal. Many use locally quarried Medina sandstone or brick, a legacy of three destructive fires in the mid and late 19th century which destroyed earlier wood frame buildings. In 1994, the area was recognized as a historic district and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>The district is an irregularly shaped area centered around the intersection of North Main (state highway NY 98) and East and West Bank streets. It slopes down gently toward the canal along its northern boundary. At its south end it borders on the Orleans County Courthouse Historic District, the other one in Albion. Its boundary follows lot lines and streets, including all the properties on the east of North Main north of Swan Library to the canal and bridge. At the northwest corner it includes the former Sears Carriage Factory at 125 Liberty Street, and a block of Beaver Alley.</p><br>
<p>It then includes the bridge and a portion of the canal, including a concrete prism and the former tow path, eastward to the Ingersoll Street bridge, after which it follows the south bank of the canal back west to the rear line of the Burrows Block at 131½ North Main, the only remnant of a whole row of buildings which fronted on the canal. Then it goes south and east around the village-owned parking lot to include all the buildings on the north side of East Bank Street to the village hall at the Platt Street corner. It excludes the parking lot across the street but then follows its property line south to zigzag across the block and include all the properties down to 35 North Main.</p><br>
<p>The 18 acre area within the boundary includes 43 buildings and three structures. Only one building, the modern commercial building at 18 North Main, is non-contributing. The rest are generally three-story brick or stone commercial buildings, with a few industrial buildings and houses, in a variety of 19th century styles. The area alternates dense development with open spaces for parking lots.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The development of the district can be divided into three periods: the early years from which only a few buildings remain, the middle years in which many of the current buildings were constructed after fires, and the later years in which the focus has been on preservation.</p><br>
<h3>1810s–1861: The early years</h3><br>
<p>Settlement of the future Albion area began in the early 1810s, picking up later in the decade when construction began on the Erie Canal. In 1822 large-scale development began when Nehemiah Ingersoll bought a large tract of land south of the canal on the east side of what later became Main Street. It was quickly subdivided, with a tavern and store built on Main Street, housing built along the canal route, and a dam and mill built on Sandy Creek, the nearby feeder stream.</p><br>
<p>In 1824 the canal section from Brockport to Lockport, including Albion, was completed and opened. Orleans County was created from the northern half of Genesee County, and the canal helped Albion get chosen over nearby Gaines as the county seat. When the canal was finished the next year, Albion became a bustling port, shipping mainly the wheat and apples grown in the surrounding farms. The brick Greek Revival Burrows Block at 131½ North Main, built in 1827, is the only one remaining from the canal frontage.</p><br>
<p>At the opposite end of the district, the presence of county government influenced development. As in the courthouse historic district, many of the surviving buildings from this period are residences. The oldest building in the district is the 1826 Federal style Porter Lee House at 30 North Main. Around 1830 the two oldest commercial properties, 105–107 North Main and the Goodrich-Proctor Block at 126 North Main, both brick Greek Revival structures, were built. Other residences and commercial buildings existed; most were wood frame and did not survive later fires.</p><br>
<p>In the late 1830s, a quarry operator near Medina, the next large settlement to the west along the canal, discovered an attractive reddish-brown sedimentary rock and began selling it as a building material. Medina sandstone, as it was called, would eventually be most heavily quarried around Albion, and shipped elsewhere in the state via the canal to be used later in the construction of the state capitol in Albany and many so-called brownstones in New York City. It saw its first use in the future district around 1840, when it was used to build the Sears Carriage Factory at 125 Liberty Street, one of the few surviving industrial buildings near the canal.</p><br>
<p>By the middle of the century, the trade in sandstone and farm products was making Albion prosperous. The canal was joined as a regional transportation artery by the Rochester, Lockport and Niagara Falls Railroad, locally known as the "Falls Road", soon absorbed into the New York Central, to the south. Two local businessmen, Lorenzo Burrows and Williams Swan, built large, ornate, Greek Revival houses for themselves at 34 and 48 North Main respectively. The current courthouse was built in 1858, providing another focal point to the village and a pole for development.</p><br>
<h3>1862–1897: Rebuilding</h3><br>
<p>Few buildings survive from this era. In 1862 the first of three fires in the district destroyed most of the south side of East Bank between Main and Platt. The Bordwell and Harrington blocks, 16–28 East Bank, replaced them along with the now-demolished Orleans Hotel. These new buildings were Italianate structures built of brick, the better to survive future fires.</p><br>
<p>Four years later, in 1866, the block of North Main just south of West Bank burned. It was replaced by the Blott, Royce and Empire blocks. At the north end of the rebuilt area was the Granite Block, partially constructed of Medina sandstone. Its design influenced that of neighboring buildings on West Bank built shortly afterwards, in the same style. Seven years later, in 1873, the village built a combination fire station and village hall at 35–37 East Bank, in the eastern corner of the future district. Its decorative facade combined brick and Medina sandstone.</p><br>
<p>The last fire, in 1882, burned the block of North Main between West Bank and Beaver Alley. The new buildings — the Granite and Day & Day blocks and the Pratt Opera House — were some of the district&#39;s most distinctive. They employed brick and Medina sandstone in various combinations of late Victorian styles: Italianate, Eastlake and Romanesque Revival. Atop the Day & Day and opera house pedimented parapets broke up the continuous flat skyline of that side of Main Street. The Daly and Hanley buildings, built at the north end of the block in 1897, continued this trend.</p><br>
<p>Albions prosperity continued into the 20th century. Few new buildings were built as the existing buildings remained in good shape. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows hall at 10 North Main, the districts south end, was put up in 1907. The Renaissance Revival bank building at 121 North Main was built in 1895 and further renovated in the 1920s. The last major building was the Strick Building at 31 East Bank, a sandstone commercial structure erected in 1923.</p><br>
<h3>1898–1994: Buildout and decline</h3><br>
<p>During this period the economy began to decline slightly. Improvements in railroad technology had made them more efficient than the canals, so the state responded by combining the Erie and several other canals into the New York State Barge Canal system. The canal was rerouted entirely in some areas, but in Albion it was merely widened and dredged. The two lift bridges in the district were built during this period, which ended around 1930.</p><br>
<p>The improvements to the canal sufficed for only a few more years. Demand for Medina sandstone had been declining in the face of competition from Portland cement, and it was desired only for curbstones. In the late 1940s, that ceased as most easily accessible beds of the material had been exhausted. Albion also suffered when the New York State Thruway was opened to the south, near Batavia, displacing both canal and rail as a freight route.</p><br>
<p>Businesses closed down, but the buildings they were in were not demolished. The listing of the courthouse historic district to the south gave impetus to efforts to preserve and restore the commercial area as well. The district was determined eligible for the National Register in 1986; that was changed when the north side of East Bank between Platt and Ingersoll, originally intended to be included, was found to have too many alterations and modern intrusions to retain its historic integrity.</p><br>
<h3>1995–present: Preservation battles</h3><br>
<p>Citizens formed the Albion Main Street Alliance (AMSA) to work to revitalize Albion&#39;s downtown, in particular the district. They advocated for a fouRr-point approach used in similar communities across the country: organization, promotion, design and economic restructuring. Specific projects undertaken include beautification such as placing American flags on the street and litter cleanup in Canal Park, taking photographic inventory and mapping the buildings within the district, and organizing community events and education programs related to it. It has been accredited by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which gave the village a three-year grant to restore facades in 2008.</p><br>
<p>The HPC clashed with the villages mayor, Mike Hadick, over its denial that year of a sign permit. Commission members felt that a sign Verizon wanted to use on its Main Street store was inappropriate for an area with buildings over a century old, and that it probably had less intrusive signs available to it. Hadick felt that the commission, which he felt had also been insufficiently supportive when the village tried to restore the rear wall of its visitors center at 121 Main Street, was creating unnecessary obstacles for businesses in a difficult economy. He later granted the permit himself, which the HPC said was beyond his authority. Late in the year he asked four of the seven members to step down since they had not taken their oaths of office within the required 30 days, leaving the commission without a quorum and unable to take action. He said he would take applications from the community for new members instead of reappointing the four, who said they had never been told of the need to take the oath. At a village board meeting early in 2009, Hadick responded to a presentation about the benefits of the historic district by saying he would prefer the demolition of most of the historic properties along Main Street in favor of new ones, claiming that the "outdated" buildings drove young adults from the village. Members of AMSA and the HPC were critical of his attitude and actions.</p><br>
<p>In the spring, AMSA organized the Olde Orleans Erie Canal Festival to promote the district as part of a corridor of historic and scenic attractions along Route 98, ranging from the nearby courthouse to the Cobblestone National Historic Landmark District and Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum north of town along the highway. The event included historic re-enactments and building tours. Local artists and organizations exhibited in the Pratt Building, as well.</p><br>
<p>A month later, Hadick resigned as mayor and Dean Theodorakos, one of the HPC members and a village trustee, was chosen by the board to replace him. Theodorakos moved later that year to have the village apply for Certified Local Government (CLG) status from the National Park Service in order to better protect the historic district. Julian Adams, coordinator of the CLG program for the State Historic Preservation Office, said Albion was an ideal community for the program. "I was blown away by your downtown," he told a meeting of village officials and interested citizens. "You have wonderful buildings here that no one else has", due to the lack of any urban renewal efforts in the village.</p><br>
<p>In 2010, the commission had to start its work over again when it discovered that the historic district had never been formally established under local law. Almost ten years earlier, public hearings required by law had been held, but the resulting documentation was never filed with the county clerk&#39;s office and could not be located in village archives. That gave the commission an opportunity to consider expanding the district recognized in the village code to include properties outside the Register district, such as residences on some of the side streets and property north of the canal.</p><br>
<h2>Significant contributing properties</h2><br>
<p>All but one property (18 North Main Street) are considered contributing to the district&#39;s historic character. None are as yet individually listed on the National Register.</p><br>
<p>Burrows Block, 123–131½ North Main Street. The oldest section of this brick Greek Revival building, constructed in several stages in the 1830s, is the only remaining canalside commercial building.</p><br>
<p>Lorenzo Burrows House, 48 North Main. One of the two large Greek Revival houses in the district, dating to 1840.</p><br>
<p>Citizen&#39;s Bank Building, 121 North Main. The only Renaissance Revival building in the district was finished in 1895 and redone in the 1920s.</p><br>
<p>Granite Block, 52–60 North Main. This Italianate building of Medina sandstone laid in a random ashlar pattern after the 1866 fire influenced several others around it.</p><br>
<p>Lee Porter House, 30 North Main Street. This 1826 brick Federal style house, later given some Italianate touches, is the oldest in the district.</p><br>
<p>Pratt Opera House, 120 North Main. A three-story Romanesque Revival 1882 building, its third-story pedimented cross-gable and roof accommodate an intact theater.</p><br>
<p>Sears Carriage Factory, 125 Liberty Street. A small, utilitarian brick building dating to 1840 and expanded twice since then, this is one of the few remaining industrial buildings near the canal on the south side.</p><br>
<p>W.G. Swan House, 34 North Main. This is the other large 1840s brick Greek Revival house built by an early canal businessman.</p><br>
<p>Village Hall and firehouse, 35–37 East Bank Street. An ornate structure dating to 1873 that continues to serve in both capacities.</p><br>
<p>The Orleans County Courthouse Historic District is one of two located in downtown Albion, New York, United States. Centered on Courthouse Square, it includes many significant buildings in the village, such as its post office and churches from seven different denominations, one of which is the tallest structure in the county. Many buildings are the work of local architect William V.N. Barlow, with contributions from Solon Spencer Beman and Andrew Jackson Warner. They run the range of architectural styles from the era in which the district developed, from Federal to Colonial Revival.</p><br>
<p>Most of its buildings date to the 19th century, with some erected in the early 20th, a period when Albion was prospering not only as the county seat but as a stop on the Erie Canal, which passes through the village a short distance north of the district. A number of the buildings, including the county courthouse, use locally quarried Medina sandstone. In 1979 it was recognized as a historic district and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.</p><br>
<h2>Geography</h2><br>
<p>The district is square-shaped with two protrusions on its northeast and southwest corners. Its boundaries follow lot lines. The entire Courthouse Square is included, and all the properties facing it on South Main (state highway NY 98), East State, South Platt and East Park Streets. On the southwest it continues along West Park to include all corners of the Liberty Street intersection, and likewise it continues along East State Street east of Platt to include all properties as far as Ingersoll Street.</p><br>
<p>This roughly 15 acre area includes 35 buildings, all but two of which are considered contributing properties to the districts overall historic character, built between 1830 and 1910 in various contemporary architectural styles. It is a densely developed urban core, on land sloping gently to the north. Albions other downtown historic district, the more commercially oriented North Main-Bank Street area, borders on the north and extends to the canal, now part of the New York State Barge Canal system.</p><br>
<p>Many of the buildings along South Main, the principal vehicular route through the district, are massed, bulky structures of stone or brick. The districts original focal point, the metallic dome of the Greek Revival county courthouse, is set off by a similarly large county clerks building of later construction to its south and the modern, non-contributing county jail to the southeast. Around the courthouse buildings is the only open space in the district, planted in mature tall trees on the west (front) of the courthouse and taken up with a parking lot to the south.</p><br>
<p>The neighboring streets complement the courthouse complex with large institutional buildings like the village&#39;s Swan Library and the seven churches. The 175 ft spire of the Old English Gothic First Presbyterian Church to the north is a focal point for the region — as the tallest structure in Orleans County, it can be seen from 10 miles (16 km) away on clear days. On the far corners, the larger buildings give way to smaller buildings and houses.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>The district&#39;s active development can be split into two phases: the years from the creation of Orleans County to the construction of the new courthouse, when development was mostly residential and slower-paced; and the years after the current courthouse was built, when larger scale buildings were constructed at a faster rate. During the 20th century some renovations were made, and only two new buildings were added.</p><br>
<h3>1824–1858: Before the courthouse</h3><br>
<p>When Orleans County was split from Genesee County to the south in 1824, a group of state commissioners visited the new county to choose the seat. At the time the choice was between Albion and Gaines to the northwest, then the two largest settlements in the county and relatively centrally located within it. The commissioners were impressed when Nehemiah Ingersoll, one of Albion&#39;s more prominent citizens, took them on a tour which showed its access to water power.</p><br>
<p>The next year the Erie Canal was opened, putting Albion on a major trade route across the street, giving local farmers access to distant markets. On the remains of a former glacial drumlin, a log cabin had been built in 1811 by William McAllister, one of the first buildings in what would become Albion. The area around it began to develop. Two churches were built across the square, the First Presbyterian Church on South Main in 1830 (currently Christ Episcopal Church) and the First United Methodist Church at East State and Platt. The Mahaney and Bullock houses, on South Main and Liberty respectively, were built around this time. The former, a three-bay Federal style structure with elliptical arched entrance and saddleback roof, is typical of the application of the style around Western New York at that time. The latter, later home to Reconstruction-era Georgia Governor Rufus Brown Bullock, is possibly the oldest building in the district. Its recessed panels beneath the first floors arches recall Charles Bulfinchs influential Second Harrison Gray Otis House in Boston.</p><br>
<p>In 1840 a large brick residence at the corner of Main and State streets was built in the Greek Revival style for Alexis Ward, the first president of the Village of Albion. The First Presbyterian Churchs second building, now its chapel, demonstrates how it was applied locally. Other than the cast iron leaves of the front columns Corinthian capitals, its brick exterior is devoid of ornament. Similarly the interior is decorated only with a plaster ceiling medallion. This austerity may reflect both the conservative tastes of the congregation at that time and their possibly limited construction budget.</p><br>
<p>The house of Sanford E. Church, later lieutenant governor and chief judge of the Court of Appeals, New Yorks highest court, also added Greek Revival elements to a Federal design. Located at East State and Ingersoll, it is the most prominent residence in the district. Its Doric colonnade acknowledges changing trends, but their slenderness along with the houses elliptical fanlight and clapboard siding suggests that its builder was not yet ready to fully embrace them.</p><br>
<p>A few years earlier, quarries near the village of Medina to the west had found a reddish-brown local variety of sandstone. Soon quarries near Albion began producing it as well, and it became a major local industry, producing much of what was called brownstone when used in New York City, as well as all the steps of Henry Hobson Richardson&#39;s "Million Dollar Staircase" in the state capitol.</p><br>
<p>It would take a while to be used for Albion&#39;s downtown other than curbs, steps or window trim. In the meantime, the Italianate style quietly debuted in Albion with the Porter House at 33 Platt Street in 1855. Five years earlier the Preston House at 118 East State Street had been built in a consciously Colonial style.</p><br>
<h3>1858–89: The courthouse and after</h3><br>
<p>In the late 1850s the county was beginning to outgrow its original courthouse. A committee of the county&#39;s board of supervisors that traveled to Lyons, the Wayne County seat, was impressed enough with the courthouse there that the board decided it should be the model for their new one. For the design, they chose William V.N. Barlow, a young local architect for whom the courthouse would be his signature building</p><br>
<p>His courthouse building, completed in 1858, was an ornate Greek Revival structure with a tall, gilded dome 36 ft wide like its model. Its embrace of the style contrasted with the more restrained use of it on older buildings nearby like the Presbyterian chapel and Church House.</p><br>
<p>Two years later, the First Baptist Church on West Park Street matched the scale of the new courthouse with a structure combining Gothic (steep buttresses and a tall hexagonal tower rising from the center of the front facade) and Romanesque elements (round arched windows and corbel tables). Also built that year was the first house of worship in the Free Methodist Church, started by abolitionists, on East State Street. It too combined the styles, with Romanesque proportions and Carpenter Gothic design touches. The buildings vertical battens are topped with unmolded block capitals, suggesting the buildings unknown architect was considerably refined in the use of the style.</p><br>
<p>After the Civil War the village prospered. Since 1853, when the New York Central Railroad had absorbed the Rochester, Lockport and Niagara Falls Railroad, which ran through the village paralleling the canal to the south, its agricultural products and sandstone had been shipped to many distant markets. Growth in the district continued apace. The Methodists built an Italianate parsonage on Platt Street in 1865, and during the 1870s Barlow and others built new houses, introducing styles like the Second Empire and its mansard roof on the 1879 White-Martilotta House at 134 East State Street, the largest home built in the district since Churchs. Barlow also built the Italian villa-style brick home for local merchant William Gere on the southwest corner of West Park and South Main, which now serves as the rectory for St. Josephs Church.</p><br>
<p>When local banker and politician Elizur Hart died in 1870, he left $50,000 (approximately $950,000 in contemporary dollars) for the construction of a new First Presbyterian Church. He specifically stipulated that the new church&#39;s spire be taller than the one on the Baptist church.</p><br>
<p>Andrew Jackson Warner was commissioned to design the new church. He delivered the current building, made entirely of rusticated stone, which he had become familiar with while working on Henry Hobson Richardson&#39;s Buffalo State Hospital earlier in his career. The English Gothic style chosen was also well-adapted to the material, since the 13th-century churches used as models were usually made of local stone. Some aspects of the design, such as the placement of the tower, the rose window and the placement of the details, suggest the influence of Richard Upjohn, whose 1859 Third Presbyterian Church in Rochester Warner would also have been familiar with. The spire, when finished the following year, reached 175 ft, making it the tallest structure not only in the village but the county. A manse squarely in the Colonial Revival style was also built that year.</p><br>
<p>In 1885, Barlow introduced two new styles to Albion. The Warner House at 21 East Park is the villages first Queen Anne, and just down the street at 34 East Park he brought the Eastlake style, where the decoration is made of the same material as the surface it is on, to Albion. Three years later, it got a higher-profile placement with the Surrogates Building just south of the courthouse. Rochester architect Harvey Ellis dotted the faces of the building, made entirely of fireproof materials, with inventive brickwork. "From that point on", wrote a critic decades later, "his genius as a practitioner of the true fine art of building begins to sing".</p><br>
<p>Yet another emerging style, Colonial Revival was brought to the district at the end of the decade by Barlow. In 1889 he oversaw the renovation of the 50-year-old residence at Main and State into the Swan Library. Most of the exterior was redecorated for the new style. Inside, its original Greek Revival woodwork remains intact except for a large reading room redone in Colonial Revival.</p><br>
<h3>1890s: Two churches</h3><br>
<p>The 1890s saw two of the district&#39;s churches, among them one of its most distinctive, built through the generosity of local benefactors. All used Medina sandstone, reflecting the prosperity of the region at the time.</p><br>
<p>The next year George Pullman, the railroad-car entrepreneur who had lived in Albion as a young cabinetmaker during the late 1840s and into the 1850s, agreed to build a Universalist church in the village (named Pullman Memorial Universalist Church). He commissioned Solon Spencer Beman, who had designed his company town outside Chicago. Beman saw that the Medina sandstone was particularly well-suited to the Richardsonian Romanesque style, and produced a compact church of rough-hewn blocks of that material, with unmolded window trim revealing the thickness of the face. While it uses pointed arches instead of the round ones Richardson preferred, the tower evokes the older architects Trinity Church in Boston. The interior echoes Richardson as well in contrasting the exteriors heaviness and seriousness with space and bright color, including the Tiffany stained glass window and golden oak ceiling beams.</p><br>
<p>The last of the two churches of the 1890s was a spite building. William Stafford, a member of the Baptist Church and Orleans County District Attorney, ran for reelection and lost. He felt his loss was partly due to his fellow congregants failure to sufficiently support him. He sold the land he owned next to the Baptist Church to St. Joseph&#39;s Roman Catholic Church, which was outgrowing its current location on Main Street north of the Erie Canal. According to local legend, the property was sold under the condition that a new church on the property be built close enough to West Park Street to block the view of the Baptist church from Main Street. The Gothic Revival building, designed by an unknown architect, is smaller in scale and less decorated than the other churches, but does block the view to the Baptist Church from Main Street.</p><br>
<h3>1900–present: Decline and preservation</h3><br>
<p>A few more buildings were added to the district in the early 20th century, and some others were renovated. A tower with the board-and-batten siding was added to the Free Methodist Church in 1900, and St. Joseph&#39;s built a school in 1913. Later that year the Pullman church built a parsonage of its own. Its Colonial Revival design, featuring a delicate half-ellipse, evoked the very same Federal and Greek Revival buildings that had been built in the nearby blocks when the area was first developed.</p><br>
<p>The industries that made Albion prosperous started to decline after that decade. The canal was enlarged and made part of the New York State Barge Canal system in 1918, which failed to stop the loss of traffic to railroads that were growing ever more efficient. By the 1920s Portland cement had become common and cheap enough that the sandstone quarries were losing customers. The courthouse was renovated in the late 1920s. Late in the Depression, in 1937, a new post office in the Colonial Revival style was built opposite the courthouse and library, with two Greek Revival homes that had been there demolished in the process. Note: This includes</p><br>
<p>Swan Library itself was redecorated in 1952, only to have the original color scheme restored in 1975. Shortly before that the modernist new county jail had been built, the most recent construction in the district. An interest in preserving the village&#39;s downtown culminated in the 1979 listing on the Register.</p><br>
<h2>Significant contributing properties</h2><br>
<p>None of the districts 33 contributing properties is currently independently listed on the National Register. The post office, within the district, was listed after the district, but is not considered to be contributing to the district because it was built after 1910, the end of the districts period of significance.</p><br>
<p>Rufus Brown Bullock House, 36 Liberty Street. The future governor of Georgia lived in an 1830 house typical of Federal style homes in the region.</p><br>
<p>Sanford E. Church House, 4 Ingersoll Street. A large Federal style home built around 1840 with some Greek Revival decoration, it was the largest early home in the district.</p><br>
<p>First Presbyterian Church, 29 East State Street. Andrew Jackson Warner&#39;s 1875 building with its tall spire is the largest church in the district.</p><br>
<p>Free Methodist Church, East State Street. The Mother Church of the Free Methodists is an 1850s Carpenter Gothic-style building.</p><br>
<p>Orleans County Courthouse, Courthouse Square. William Barlow&#39;s 1858 Greek Revival centerpiece to the district is considered his most important building.</p><br>
<p>Pullman Memorial Universalist Church, South Main and East Park streets. Solon Spencer Beman&#39;s 1894 stone church, endowed by his patron George M. Pullman, has been described as the finest in the village Pullman once called home.</p><br>
<p>Surrogates Building, Courthouse Square. Harvey Elliss 1888 structure brought the Eastlake style to center stage in Albion.</p><br>
<p>Swan Building (Roswell Smith Burrows Mansion), 4 North Main Street. Barlow oversaw this 1840 houses conversion into Albions first public library.</p><br>
<p>White-Marilotta House, 134 East State Street. Barlows 1879 commission for Judge John Hull White marked the Second Empires debut in the village.</p><br>
<p>The Federal Building, USA Post Office and Courthouse in Hilo, Hawaii is former a courthouse of the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii. Completed in 1917 and expanded in the 1930s, the building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>Prior to the annexation of the islands by the United States in 1898, Hilo was a thriving educational and commercial center on Hawaii, the largest of the Hawaiian Islands. Flourishing agricultural enterprises were served by railroads and harbors that facilitated trade with both the continental United States and East Asia. Postal services in Hilo commenced in 1858. When the Hawaiian Islands became a territory of the United States in 1900, officials wanted to expand postal and court facilities for the second-largest city in the territory. By 1913, the Hilo Board of Trade and the territory&#39;s governmental representative secured US$200,000 for a federal building.</p><br>
<p>New York architect Henry Whitfield designed the new building in 1915. Whitfield, who was the brother-in-law of Andrew Carnegie, had just completed the design for the Honolulu Carnegie Library. Whitfield designed the building in the Mediterranean Renaissance Revival style, which blends traditional classical architecture with features more suited to a tropical climate. The building was one of the first in Hawaii constructed using reinforced concrete, a technology that was common on the mainland. Construction was completed and the building occupied in 1917. It originally functioned as a courthouse, post office, and custom house. Other tenants included the Immigration Bureau, Agricultural Extension Service, Weather Bureau, and Internal Revenue Service.</p><br>
<p>By the 1930s, tenants required more space and two wings were added to the building between 1936 and 1938. Louis A. Simon, supervising architect of the US Treasury, designed the wings in a style compatible with that of the original building.</p><br>
<p>The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings on the island of Hawaii on October 1, 1974 as site 74000708. In 1978, most postal functions moved to a new location, and the following year the Third Circuit Court vacated the third floor, which was converted into offices.</p><br>
<p>The structure is located on the northern edge of downtown bounded by Waianuenue Avenue, Wailuku Drive, and Kinoole and Kekaulike streets at 154 Waianuenue Avenue (Route 200), 19&deg;43&prime;32&Prime;N latitude, 155&deg;5&prime;20&Prime;W longitude, on Kalakaua Park square. Across the square is the historic former District Courthouse and Police Station.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>Whitfield&#39;s design blends classically inspired forms and motifs with features that are suitable for the warm Hawaiian climate. It is particularly noteworthy for its use of reinforced concrete, and it is one of the earliest buildings in the area to be constructed of permanent materials.</p><br>
<p>The reinforced concrete building is covered with painted stucco. The original building was rectangular, and the wing additions extend forward from the facade to form a U-shape. The facade is organized around a central courtyard. The building is three stories in height with a penthouse. Open-air loggias divided into three distinct levels face the courtyard and provide occupants with pleasant views and circulating air currents. The loggias also function as exterior corridors and provide primary circulation for occupants. One of the building&#39;s most appealing features is a two-story colonnade supported by monumental Tuscan columns. The colonnade faces the courtyard and supports the loggia on the first and second stories, while simple, square piers support the third-level loggia. Wrought-iron balusters are located on the first and second floors on portions of the colonnade. Decorative elements within the courtyard, including colorful mosaic tiles and urns, emphasize the Mediterranean Renaissance Revival style of the building, which blends classical and exotic motifs. Wrought-iron light fixtures are located on the building, and a wrought-iron grille with a gilded eagle tops the entrance to the postal lobby.</p><br>
<p>The exterior is divided into horizontal zones by water tables and stringcourses, a feature common to Renaissance Revival architecture. Classically inspired limestone surrounds highlight prominent features, such as windows and entrances, on the wings. Another colonnade (now enclosed with operable windows) is located on the rear. The penthouse contains a clerestory band of windows, that admits light into the third story. Five skylights, including one on the penthouse roof, illuminate the interior. The roof is covered with green glazed tiles.</p><br>
<p>The majority of interior spaces open onto the loggias, which provide necessary air circulation. The original postal service spaces on the first level contain gray-veined, white marble floors. Walls and ceilings are covered with painted plaster. Changes to the interior integrated new technology and accommodated changing uses of the building. Elevators have been added over time, including the island&#39;s first passenger elevator in 1950. After the courts vacated the building in 1978, the courtroom was transformed into office space. Total floor area is 50,346 ft2.</p><br>
<p>Although landscaping was designed as part of initial construction, much of the plan was not executed until the wings were built. The grounds are lushly planted with numerous native plants with retaining walls of indigenous lava stone. On Memorial Day in 1922, the American Legion planted 17 royal palms along Kekaulike Street to commemorate Hawaiian citizens who died in World War I.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1898: United States annexes Hawaii</p><br>
<p>1915-1917: Federal Building, USA Post Office and Courthouse constructed</p><br>
<p>1936-1938: Three-story wings constructed</p><br>
<p>1974: Building listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>1978: Main post office vacates building</p><br>
<p>1979: Third Circuit Court vacates building</p><br>
<p>The Birch Bayh Federal Building and USA Courthouse, formerly known as the USA Courthouse and Post Office and as the Federal Building, is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, located in Indianapolis. It is a distinguished example of Beaux-Arts architecture, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Constructed from 1902 to 1905, the United States District Court for the District of Indiana met here until it was subdivided in 1928; the United States Circuit Court for the District of Indiana met here until that court was abolished in 1912. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as "USA Courthouse and Post Office" in 1974. The courthouse was renamed in honor of Senator Birch Bayh in 2003.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>The building was one of only 35 federal buildings constructed under the Tarsney Act of 1893. The United States Treasury Department sought designs for the new federal building from private architectural firms through an open competition allowed under the Act. John Hall Rankin and Thomas Kellogg, noted Philadelphia architects, secured the design contract, and the Treasury Department accepted the New York-based John Pierce Company&#39;s low construction bid of $1,300,000. (The final cost, however, reached nearly $2,000,000.) Begun in 1902 and completed in 1905, the new federal building was massive. Accommodating 925 federal employees, the U-shaped, Beaux Arts structure occupied an entire block, rose four stories, and housed federal courts, offices, and the main post office.</p><br>
<p>Beaux Arts classicism, often reflected in federal buildings of this era, was popularized by the majestic buildings of the Chicago World&#39;s Fair in 1893. Monumental design and formal planning of spaces are hallmarks of the style. The Federal Building and USA Courthouse inspired Beaux Arts designs for other public buildings in Indianapolis, including Indianapolis City Hall (1910), the Indianapolis Public Library (1917), and buildings in the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza (dedicated in 1927).</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>Resting on a gray granite foundation, the Neo-Classic building is a steel-framed, flat-roofed structure clad with Indiana limestone. The south (front) elevation has eleven bays, separated by three-story Ionic engaged columns and flanked by entry pavilions. Each pavilion has a central cast-bronze and glass doorway, reached by a wide, shallow gray granite stair flanked by pedestals with heroic allegorical sculptures by John Massey Rhind entitled Industry, Science (or Justice), Agriculture, and Literature.</p><br>
<p>Completed in 1905, the new federal building was originally U-shaped. The symmetrical facade features evenly spaced Ionic pilasters and terraces with stone balusters. A heavy classical cornice tops the building. A five-story addition, completed in 1938, enclosed the original U-shaped plan, creating an interior courtyard. The addition is compatible with the original building, featuring classical ornamentation mixed with modern details such as the stylized relief over the entrances.</p><br>
<p>The original impressive scale and richly ornamented interior design elements remain intact. Mosaic tile ceilings, cantilevered marble staircases, and much of the original decorative artwork and furnishings are still in place. The major interior spaces of the building are the first-floor lobbies and connecting corridor and the original courtrooms at the southeast and southwest corners of the second floor. The exterior entry doors at the southeast and southwest corners of the first floor open into barrel-vaulted corridors with white marble walls and brown and green marble pilasters and columns. The corridors lead to vaulted octagonal vestibules that feature red marble walls and gray Tuscan columns, as well as Roman-style mosaics on the ceilings. Arched openings of the octagonal vestibules lead to lobbies with elevators and grand staircases, and to the quadripart vaulted connecting corridor. The semicircular marble staircases are among the finest examples of cantilevered (supported only from one end) stone stairs in the United States.</p><br>
<p>Among the most impressive interior features of the building are the Depression-era murals. Working under the Treasury Relief Art Project, which aimed to restore faith in the country through patriotic and historically themed art, master artist Grant Christian painted murals that depict the history of transportation and delivery of mail in Indianapolis. Christian was paid $1.55 per hour while his assistant, Reynolds Selfridge receive half that much. The courtrooms feature handsome marble floors, colored marble and plaster wall finishes, and elaborately ornamented, gilded, and painted plaster beam and panel ceilings with skylights. Bronzed railings, stained-glass windows, and heavy wrought-iron gates provide detail to these rooms, which also still have their original furniture. Allegorical representations of the Appeal to Justice and Justice and Mercy by William B. Van Ingen placed above each judge&#39;s bench symbolize the seriousness of their responsibility.</p><br>
<p>Depression-era interior modifications were mostly cosmetic in nature. These included replacement of open metal grillwork doors on the elevators with polished metal doors, and installation of dark green marble-faced walls at elevator entrances. Modern translucent panels replaced the original stained-glass skylights in the second-floor courtrooms.</p><br>
<p>The first-floor east-west corridor is no longer used as a post office. The postal service windows and mailboxes were removed when these functions were shifted to widely dispersed annexes. Replicas of the service windows were added during the course of restoration, returning the space to its original appearance. In recent years, the General Services Administration (GSA) has reversed some past modifications made in the name of modernization, and has begun conserving important elements of the building. GSA has replaced modern lighting with appropriate period features, repaired mosaic tile ceilings, and restored exterior stone work.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1902-1905: The Federal Building and USA Courthouse is constructed.</p><br>
<p>1935: Murals by Master artist Grant Christian depict the history of transportation and mail delivery in Indianapolis.</p><br>
<p>1938: Addition of north wing is completed.</p><br>
<p>1962: GSA&#39;s ongoing preservation work begins.</p><br>
<p>1974: The Federal Building and USA Courthouse is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.</p><br>
<p>2003: Building renamed in honor of USA Senator Birch Bayh of Indiana.</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Architects: John Hall Rankin and Thomas Kellogg</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1902-1905</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Location: The city block bounded by Ohio, Meridian, Pennsylvania, and New York Streets</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Classical Revival</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Indiana limestone sheathing over steel framing and reinforced concrete; gray granite base and stairs</p><br>
<p>Prominent Feature: Elaborate interior finishes including marble, plaster, and mosaics</p><br>
<h2>Attribution</h2><br>
<p>The E. Ross Adair Federal Building and USA Courthouse is a historic post office, courthouse, and federal office building located at Fort Wayne in Allen County, Indiana. The building is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 as USA Post Office and Courthouse.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>Fort Wayne historically served as a transportation and communication center located at the confluence of the St. Marys and St. Joseph rivers, which meet to form the Maumee River. In the 1840s, the Wabash and Erie Canal opened in Fort Wayne, and the town became a bustling business center. The population continued to increase when the arrival of the railroad boosted industrial growth. By the 1920s, Fort Wayne was an important city in the Midwest and consequently required federal services. Officials planned for a post office, federal office building, and federal courthouse. In 1928, Congress authorized funds for the acquisition of a site through the Public Buildings Act of 1926, which appropriated resources for federal buildings throughout the United States. Congress earmarked additional funds for construction through the same legislation. Federal officials retained private architects Guy Mahurin, who was from Fort Wayne, and Benjamin Morris, a New Yorker. The building was designed under the auspices of James A. Wetmore, acting supervising architect of the USA Treasury Department.</p><br>
<p>Excavation for the new building was completed in 1931. Many contracting firms submitted construction bids. Fortunately, the bids were lower than federal officials anticipated, which allowed impressive design features such as the entry plaza and marble floors to be incorporated into the project budget. Ralph Sollitt and Sons of South Bend, Indiana, constructed the building.</p><br>
<p>The building has a structural system of reinforced concrete and was one of the first large federal buildings to use this method rather than a steel frame. The reinforced concrete technique saved $30,000. Construction was completed in 1932, with an opening ceremony held on October 29 of that year.</p><br>
<p>In 2000, the building was named to honor E. Ross Adair, a Republican congressman from Indiana’s Fourth District. Adair, who was born in Fort Wayne in 1907 and died there in 1983, served in the USA Army during World War II and was ambassador to Ethiopia from 1971-1974. He was in private legal practice at the time of his death.</p><br>
<p>The post office vacated the building in 1987. Currently, it houses the USA District Court, USA Bankruptcy Court, and other federal offices. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 as USA Post Office and Courthouse.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The E. Ross Adair Federal Building and USA Courthouse occupies a parcel of land bounded by Douglas Avenue and Harrison, Brackenridge, and Webster streets. It is designed in the Stripped Classical style of architecture, which was frequently used for federal building design during the Depression era and was advocated by Louis A. Simon, who oversaw federal building design under Acting Supervising Architect James A. Wetmore. It features classically inspired symmetry, massing, and materials, but without the abundant ornamentation that was common on some earlier styles of federal architecture. Instead, its stylized decorative elements are characteristic of those found in Art Deco architecture. The imposing building portrayed the dignity and stability of the federal presence during a difficult time in American history.</p><br>
<p>The building rises three stories above a basement and is clad in gray-buff limestone with a granite base and entrance steps. Replacement aluminum sash windows are found throughout the building. The facade faces east toward the entry plaza and Harrison Street. The bays are divided by classically inspired columns with carved capitals in a stylized leaf pattern reminiscent of Corinthian columns. Eagle motifs are found on metal spandrel panels that separate the first and second floors; limestone panels with simple medallions separate the second and third levels. The building is topped by a cornice that contains the gutter system and features carved lion heads at evenly spaced intervals.</p><br>
<p>Projecting pavilions at each end of the facade contain entrances that are topped by original cast-aluminum grilles. The door openings have stone surrounds with carved cornices containing stylized floral and leaf patterns. Carved stone medallions containing eagle motifs are located above each entrance.</p><br>
<p>The interior contains several significant spaces that retain their historic finishes and features and continue to convey the grandeur of the building. The entry vestibules have floors covered in contrasting marble that forms a central star design with a diamond-shaped border. Walls are also clad in marble with molded door and window surrounds and fluted pilasters. Built-in marble benches are below windows. The pale marble is St. Genevieve Golden Vein and the darker marble is Verde Antique. Elaborate plaster coffered ceilings glazed a rich golden brown top the space.</p><br>
<p>The postal lobby on the first floor features marble floors, marble walls, decorative plaster ceilings, and ornamental cast-aluminum door and window surrounds. Although postal services are no longer located in the building, original postal window openings with cast aluminum surrounds and marble sills remain. Above the postal windows are large transom windows with leaded glass.</p><br>
<p>The district courtroom on the second floor is another important space. Its walls have dark green marble bases below mahogany wall panels with walnut burl inlay. Ornate bronze grilles and wall sconces are original features. The ornamental plaster cornice transitions into a plaster coffered ceiling with alternating octagonal and square designs that have been painted in a polychromatic color scheme.</p><br>
<p>One of the most impressive features of the site is the elaborate plaza along the Harrison Street facade. The plaza is reached by granite steps that contain a landing with a flagpole with a simply decorated bronze base. Integral granite benches form walls that enclose the plaza. The rear plaza bench, which is 40 feet long, is carved with the signs of the zodiac on the back while the arms have carved stylized leaf motifs.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1928: Congress authorizes funding for federal building in Fort Wayne under the Public Buildings Act of 1926</p><br>
<p>1931-1932: Building constructed</p><br>
<p>1987: Post Office vacates building</p><br>
<p>2000: Building renamed to honor E. Ross Adair</p><br>
<p>2006: Building listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Location:1300 South Harrison Street</p><br>
<p>Architects: Guy Mahurin and Benjamin Morris</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1931-1932</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Stripped Classical</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Limestone and Granite Prominent</p><br>
<p>Features: Stylized Art-Deco ornamentation; Reinforced concrete construction; Granite plaza</p><br>
<p>The United States Post Office and Courthouse, Dubuque, Iowa is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa located in Dubuque, Iowa. Completed in 1934, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, as a contributing resource within the Cathedral Historic District.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>As Dubuque expanded during the 1920s, the post office was not large enough to handle the increasing volume of mail. Rather than enlarge the existing building, city officials decided to construct a new post office. Congressman Thomas J. B. Robinson led the effort to secure a more appropriate postal facility. Officials determined that the new building would function as both a post office and courthouse, and the building continues to serve these purposes today.</p><br>
<p>The building was constructed with funding from the 1926 Public Buildings Act, in which Congress appropriated substantial resources for Federal buildings throughout the United States. Dubuque received approximately $650,000 for site acquisition and construction costs. Renowned city planner John Nolen intended for the building to be part of his civic design, "Administrative Center at Washington Park," which he developed in 1931. City officials hoped to construct a city hall, courthouse, and park adjacent to the post office, but these plans were never realized.</p><br>
<p>The Courthouse was designed by the Office of the Supervising Architect under James A. Wetmore, who received input from Iowa architects. Among the local designers was the office of Proudfoot, Rawson, Souers & Thomas, a highly respected Des Moines firm. This venerable firm (including earlier variations of the founding office) had a long of history of designing high-profile public buildings in Iowa, including the Polk County Courthouse in Des Moines and buildings for Iowa State University and the University of Iowa. Although little is known about the Dubuque architect involved in the project, Herbert Kennison, he likely served as an onsite consultant and provided the valued contribution of a designer who was also a local resident.</p><br>
<p>The building&#39;s cornerstone was laid in 1932, and a dedication ceremony was held the following year. The building was occupied in early 1934. In 1985, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing resource within the Cathedral Historic District, which encompasses historically significant residences and public buildings.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The United States Post Office and Courthouse is located in the heart of the business district in downtown Dubuque, Iowa, and fronts Washington Park. Construction commenced in 1932 and was completed in 1934. The building, which was designed in the Art Deco style, displays the strong rectilinear qualities that influenced Modern architecture in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. The building has a form that is similar to public architecture of earlier periods, but most of the elaborate ornamentation found on buildings from previous eras was omitted. The result is clean and restrained, yet still monumental. Many civic buildings constructed during the Great Depression display this reserved quality.</p><br>
<p>The building consists of a centrally placed, projecting, four-story tower flanked by three-story wings. The tower was originally designed to accommodate an observation room for the local weather bureau. The exterior is clad in cream-colored Bedford limestone cut into ashlar (squared and smooth) blocks. Decorative details that are consistent with typical Art Deco ornamentation are found on the building. These include stylized flowers, swags, dentils (rectangular blocks), and chevron (V-shaped) elements. The corners of the tower are chamfered with a 45-degree bevel cut and contain stylized eagle motifs that express the Federal governments presence in Dubuque. The tall, vertical windows are evenly spaced and have bronze mullions, which are common on Art Deco architecture. The windows are separated by fluted pilasters (attached columns) that add to the classical appeal of the buildings design.</p><br>
<p>The interior features several important murals in the lobby vestibule. The murals were funded with $2,000 of the original money allotted for construction of the building. Although a competition to select an artist was held, officials intended to select Grant Wood, the famous Iowa painter of "American Gothic," to complete the murals. When Wood did not enter the competition, William E. L. Bunn was selected. The selection was subsequently overturned in favor of a painter named Bertrand Adams. As a compromise, both Bunn and Adams, who each studied and worked with Wood and were friends from the University of Iowa, were allowed to paint murals. Adams painted "Early Settlers of Dubuque" in 1936 and 1937. The painting depicts several symbols of the citys pioneering days, such as the Julien Dubuque Monument and the Mesquakie Native American village. Adams also represented impending industrialization by painting the Dubuque Shot Tower and a bridge. Bunn painted "Early Mississippi Packet Dubuque III&#39;" (also referred to as "Early Mississippi Steamboats") at the same time. His mural illustrates life in Dubuque in 1870, when steamboats were a primary method of transportation in the Midwest. The two murals show a harmony of scale and color use.</p><br>
<p>The lobby is also decorated with American walnut veneer panels topped by an ornamental cornice with designs of leaves and circles. Bronze grilles with geometric patterns are a typical Art Deco feature. The main staircase on the north end of the building is richly finished with rose-gray marble wainscot, stairs, and landings. The brushed aluminum railing adds a strong Art Deco character to the space.</p><br>
<p>The courtroom is located on the second floor. Cardiff green marble encircles the base of the room. American walnut paneling is laid in a herringbone pattern and topped with a scalloped band of wood. The scalloped motif is repeated in metal grilles and furniture. The most elaborate feature of the room is the plaster cornice with carved dentils, leaves, floral designs, and chevrons highlighted with metallic paint.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1932-1934: United States Post Office and Courthouse constructed</p><br>
<p>1933: Cornerstone dedication ceremony</p><br>
<p>1935: Competition held to select artists for murals</p><br>
<p>1937: Murals by Bertrand Adams and William Bunn completed</p><br>
<p>1985: United States Post Office and Courthouse listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing resource within the Cathedral Historic District</p><br>
<p>The United States Courthouse, Davenport, Iowa is a historic post office and courthouse building located in Davenport in Scott County, Iowa. It is a courthouse for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<h3>Predecessor building</h3><br>
<p>Part of the site occupied by the courthouse was previously the site of an 1891 post office, completed in 1896 under the supervision of architect Willoughby J. Edbrooke. The 1891 building also became home to an office of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa in 1904. A wing added in 1909 did little to alleviate the crowding in the building. The city experienced an economic boom during the 1920s that lasted into the early 1930s. The construction of high-rise buildings downtown, including hotels and department stores, spurred the need for a new building to house the post office and federal courts. By 1932, the Great Depression had put many people out of work. Federal projects, including construction of a lock and dam, improvements to the seawall, and road construction provided employment for Davenport residents.</p><br>
<p>In 1930, Congress appropriated $655,000 for the construction of a new federal building on the site of the 1891 building, plus the purchase of two adjacent parcels. Demolition of the early post office and courthouse took place in April 1932.</p><br>
<h3>Construction</h3><br>
<p>Construction of the new building took just over 500 days.</p><br>
<p>Local architect Seth J. Temple designed the building, which was commissioned by the Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury. Temple studied at the American Academy in Rome and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and taught at the University of Illinois School of Architecture in Urbana. Other Davenport buildings that Temple designed include Davenport Hall, the Union Bank and Office building, and the Blackhawk and Burlington hotels.</p><br>
<p>The building was completed for approximately $500,000, which was significantly less than the original appropriation, and city residents and officials gathered for a dedication ceremony on October 15, 1933. Constructed as a post office and courthouse, the building retained both of those functions until about 1965. The post office moved out of the building at that time and the USA General Services Administration (GSA) acquired the building. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The USA Courthouse is a skillfully executed example of Depression-era architecture that invokes the Art Deco style. The three-story building is essentially rectangular, though a portion of the building near the rear has only one story. The building has a steel frame and integral concrete beam floors, with cladding that includes a coursed granite base and Minnesota Kasota travertine limestone on the north, east, and west elevations. The cladding of the south elevation is buff colored brick laid in a Flemish bond pattern. The building has a flat composite roof with a parapet.</p><br>
<p>The main entry is in the north elevation, which is the most elaborate. The entablature above the third story windows projects slightly from the vertical surface of the building, set off by a limestone stringcourse. A decorative parapet at the top of the building features a carved limestone frieze with a stylized Ionic order capital and shield design. The elevation is nine bays wide. The second and eighth bays feature ground floor entrance doors, each with dark gray granite surrounds. Immediately above the doors are circular limestone panels featuring stylized carved eagles. Pairs of bronze light stanchions with granite bases flank each door, each with an embossed chevron and geometric designs. The door surrounds feature stylized carvings that imitate Beaux-Arts style classical pilasters. Embossed bronze spandrels separate the second and third story windows.</p><br>
<p>The most significant interior space is the two-story courtroom that occupies the central portion of the second floor, and its adjacent judges chambers, library, and restroom. Flat geometric patterns and chevron designs reflect the architectural details of the buildings exterior, as do the fluted classical pilasters. The interior of the east doors, which provide the main entry to the courtroom, are covered with leather and trimmed with metal studs. A base of rouge marble rings the room. The laurel paneling is laid in a herringbone pattern. The wood grain of the wainscoting is vertically oriented. The cornice frieze, carved to depict chevrons and stylized leaves, is black walnut. Black walnut insets depicting leaves and berries are located above the doors on the west side of the room. Some of the furnishings are original. Additional original interior details that remain include the flooring, some of which are terrazzo floors and others are marble. The wainscoting, cladding in bathrooms and vestibules, door surrounds in the vestibules and the first floor elevator lobby, stairway treads, and hallway baseboards are original marble. Some lighting fixtures in the stairwells and hallways are also original.</p><br>
<p>After the first renovation in the 1960s, which converted the former postal facilities into offices, there were additional renovations during the 1970s and 1990s. Between 2003 and 2005, the building was renovated under GSA&#39;s Design Excellence program, which provides design assistance to high-quality public buildings by stressing creativity and providing design feedback from peers. The project, which converted the building to a dedicated courthouse facility, included the construction of two new courtrooms, restoration of the historic courtroom, and renovation of the first-floor lobby.</p><br>
<p>In 2006, The Spirit of Law and Iowa Reports, paintings created by artist Xiaoze Xie under the auspices of GSA&#39;s Art in Architecture program, were installed in the Davenport Courthouse. The artist hoped that the paintings, installed in the jury assembly room, would "prompt visitors to consider the connections between history and the present and between ideas and realities."</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>1891: Construction of original post office at this location</p><br>
<p>1932-1933: Construction of current building on site</p><br>
<p>1965: GSA acquires building after Post Office vacates building; first floor renovated</p><br>
<p>1972, 1977, 1997: Additional alterations to building</p><br>
<p>2005: Listed in National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>2005: Completion of building modernization under GSA&#39;s Design Excellence program</p><br>
<p>2006: The Spirit of Law and Iowa Reports installed in jury assembly room</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Location: 131 East Fourth Street</p><br>
<p>Architect: Seth J. Temple</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1932-1933</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Art Deco</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Steel, concrete, limestone, and granite</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Limestone and granite cladding; Wood-paneled courtroom; Stylized motifs carved on building facade</p><br>
<p>The USA Courthouse, Wichita, Kansas is a historic post office, courthouse, and Federal office building located at Wichita in Sedgwick County, Kansas. It is a courthouse for the United States District Court for the District of Kansas.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>The USA Courthouse in Wichita, originally the USA Post Office and Courthouse, is distinguished by its modern facade and Depression-era murals. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of a group of Kansas Post Offices noted for their artwork. The USA Courthouse demonstrates a skillful blending of Art Deco and classical influences; it retains the symmetry and proportions of Classical architecture while modernizing exterior ornamentation. It is representative of the large and cohesive body of architectural work by Louis A. Simon, who was responsible for the design of government buildings at the Office of the Supervising Architect under James A. Wetmore. The building was constructed between August 1930 and April 1932 at a cost of $1.2 million.</p><br>
<p>As a courthouse and post office, the building was significant in the development of the city of Wichita. From the time of the earliest settlement, the Wichita Post Office was a focal point of the community, and when the location of the post office shifted, the downtown commercial area grew up around it. When the site for the new USA Courthouse, which was to include the new post office, was selected at 401 North Market Street, it was only a few blocks from the site of Wichita&#39;s original post office in the Durfee Ranch Store. The new building provided an anchor for development and helped draw businesses north along Main Street from Douglas Avenue.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>Modernistic for its time, the USA Courthouse is a U-shaped, flat-roofed, steel-framed building clad in beige Bedford limestone. The building is 224 feet by 157 feet, and is three levels in height, with a fourth level across the south elevation, and a fifth level at the towers of the east and west corners. While the receding walls of the towers stress the vertical, the long facades of the building express an overall horizontal emphasis. All windows are in slightly recessed planes, with pilasters between openings. The even fenestration pattern and the rusticated first story of the building are common themes in classically inspired architecture. The main entrances in the towers on the south elevation have heavy molded surrounds, ornamental reveals, and shelf heads. Above the shelf are two winged limestone lions holding a plaque.</p><br>
<p>Stone carving on the exterior-primarily around the entrances and near the tops of the towers-combines classically inspired, Art Deco, and regional motifs such as winged lions, eagles, buffalo, Native Americans, wheat, and ears of corn. The latter symbols reflect Wichita&#39;s cultural and historic heritage. An ornamental band with a stylized, winged-bird motif is centered between the window heads and the cornice line.</p><br>
<p>Styles displayed on the exterior are continued throughout the interior of the building, where regional motifs blend with classicism. The entrances in the towers on the south elevation open into marble-clad vestibules. The interior doors are hollow bronze set in a wrought-bronze and glass-panel framework. A cast-bronze cornice with four bronze eagles tops the entire framework. The plaster ceiling is coffered with egg-and-dart molding and a star pattern inside the coffers.</p><br>
<p>The walls of the primary corridors on the second level are clad in Kasota Cream marble. Two pairs of double walnut-panel doors with oval windows open into the District Courtroom. The coffered ceilings feature ornamental plaster work, and the elaborate cornice is also plaster.</p><br>
<p>The exterior of the USA Courthouse retains its original appearance. The most impressive interior spaces with grand materials remain intact; these include the lobbies, corridors, and courtrooms. When the Postal Service moved out in 1986, the USA General Services Administration (GSA) restored the finishes of the main lobby and transformed the postal workroom with its wood block floor and warehouse appearance into two courtrooms. Original marble was painstakingly matched and the original paint colors were recreated. Light fixtures, wood paneling and judges&#39; benches were accurately replicated using historic documentation. GSA undertook additional renovations in 1998.</p><br>
<p>Oil-on-canvas murals, painted in 1935-1936, are located on the east and west walls of the lobby. Artists J. Ward Lockwood and Richard Haines received the commissions through a post office mural project awarded by the USA Treasury Department&#39;s Painting and Sculpture Section.</p><br>
<p>"Pioneers in Kansas," the mural by Lockwood (a Kansas native), is a collage of images associated with role and evolution of the Postal Service during the settlement of the western United States. A stagecoach laden with mail and passengers marks the center of the canvas, with the other images radiating around it. A Pony Express rider and a Native American exchange fire on the left side of the canvas. A vulture flies above the rider, symbolizing imminent danger and death. A pioneer couple stands on the right side of the canvas, the woman reading a letter. A black steam engine emerges behind the couple, symbolizing continued western expansion.</p><br>
<p>"Kansas Farming," the mural by Haines, depicts various aspects of rural life and farm production, focusing on the importance of urbanization, industrialization, and technology to the economic growth of the region. Rolling hills ripe with the bounty of the fall harvest comprise the idealized rural landscape. Tall corn and sunflower plants frame the center panel of the canvas, in which a farmer on horseback visits his neighbors. Nearby, a young girl holds mail in both hands as the boy waves to an unseen mail plane. A farmer feeds corn to his hogs and looks toward a group of produce packers on the left side of the canvas. In the distant background, a small town with a railroad depot and grain elevator represent the growing role of industry in agriculture.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1930-1931: The USA Courthouse, originally called the USA Post Office and Courthouse, is constructed.</p><br>
<p>1935-36: Under the Department of the Treasury&#39;s newly formed Painting and Sculpture Section. Lobby murals are commissioned and installed.</p><br>
<p>1968: The Post Office relocates to a new building.</p><br>
<p>1986: Postal workroom is converted into two courtrooms.</p><br>
<p>1989: The USA Courthouse is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.</p><br>
<p>1998: GSA undertakes a third renovation of the Courthouse.</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Architects: James A. Wetmore/Louis A. Simon</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1930-1932</p><br>
<p>Landmark Designation: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Kansas Post Offices with Artwork Multiple Property Submission</p><br>
<p>Location: 401 North Market Street</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Art Deco</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Bedford limestone</p><br>
<p>Prominent Feature: Lobby murals, "Pioneers in Kansas," by J. Ward Lockwood, and "Kansas Farming," by Richard Haines</p><br>
<p>The Edward T. Gignoux USA Courthouse is a historic courthouse building at 156 Federal Street in Portland, Maine. It is the courthouse for the United States District Court for the District of Maine.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>When it was completed in 1911, the USA Courthouse in Portland, now known as the Edward T. Gignoux USA Courthouse, was the first federal courthouse in Maine. Its national stature combined with its distinctive Italian Renaissance Revival architecture brought prestige to Portlands civic center. Designed by James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect of the USA Treasury Department, the courthouses classical details complement its neighbors surrounding Lincoln Park, which include the USA Custom House (1872), Cumberland County Courthouse (1910), and Portland City Hall (1912). The USA Courthouse was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.</p><br>
<p>Construction of the USA Post Office Building near Lincoln Park in 1868 helped establish the area as a location for public buildings at the turn of the twentieth century. By 1908, the federal government had acquired a prominent site for a new courthouse adjacent to the park, and construction began that year. Knox designed a trapezoidal building with an interior courtyard to be constructed in two phases. The U-shaped first phase of construction was completed in 1911. In 1931-32, Knox&#39;s original design was completed, closing the U, under the direction of the Office of the Supervising Architect under James A. Wetmore. The new construction provided space for a post office and additional offices on the upper floors.</p><br>
<p>In 1988, the USA Courthouse was renamed in honor of Judge Edward T. Gignoux, a veteran of 26 years on the bench, who had gained notoriety when he presided over the contempt trial of activists who attempted to disrupt the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1968.</p><br>
<p>In 1996, the courthouse underwent extensive modernization, which added two new courtrooms in the 1931-32 addition. The principal features and details of the first and second floors of the 1911 construction were rehabilitated and restored. As a result of the project, the Edward T. Gignoux USA Courthouse was awarded an Institutional Preservation Award from Greater Portland Landmarks in 1999.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The Edward T. Gignoux USA Courthouses Italian Renaissance Revival style reflects its architects belief that classicism was well suited for federal buildings. Entirely faced with New England granite, the building is composed of two stories above a raised stone base. Each level is articulated on the exterior through the use of subtle variations in ornamentation and textures. The first story is characterized by channeled stone. It is distinguished from the second story by a stringcourse and by the second story&#39;s smooth masonry. Differentiation also occurs in the fenestration. While the first floor has recessed, rectangular windows with simple moldings, the second-story windows are larger and elaborately detailed with classical moldings, balcony balustrades, and crowning triangular and segmented pediments, some of which are set within large arched niches with keystones. A continuous frieze, dentil molding, and cornice finish the top of the wall, where a parapet caps the composition. A succession of circular dormer windows punctuates the attic story of the slate-shingled mansard roof. The exterior articulation and ornamentation of the 1931-32 addition faithfully replicates the architectural detail of the original 1911 construction.</p><br>
<p>The buildings trapezoidal plan occupies an entire city block bounded by Federal, Newbury, Pearl, and Market Streets. The buildings original U-shaped plan comprises the southwest portion of the block, with the 1931-32 addition completing the northeast side and enclosing the central courtyard. The courtyard is accessed through a porte-cochere on Federal Street, and features buff-colored brick walls with granite stringcourses and keystones for the walls.</p><br>
<p>The building&#39;s formal entrance, located at the angled corner at Federal and Market Streets, is marked by a large, triangular pediment that surmounts a Doric frieze and engaged columns decorated with banded rustication. The entrance leads into the elliptical Rotunda, an elegant and open two-story foyer with refined classical detailing. The Rotunda features a curving marble staircase with a balustrade of thin cast-iron balusters, rising to the second floor along the perimeter of the room.</p><br>
<p>The elegant public spaces are symmetrically composed using classical proportions and details for the bases, wainscoting, and crown molding. Stained wood finishes, such as oak and pine, are used in the courtrooms, corridors, and judicial chambers. Marble finishes and terrazzo floors are reserved for the courtrooms and the corridors in the first floor. Interior finishes in the 1931-32 addition reveal the reduced or — stripped — classical style of the era, as seen in the abstracted designs in the terrazzo flooring and the flattened moldings used for the door framing.</p><br>
<p>In 1992, a major renovation project began to modernize and renovate the historic fabric of the building. Space in the original 1911 floor plan was converted into the Court Clerk offices and a new Magistrate Hearing room. District Courtroom No. 1 was carefully restored to its original design — including arched casement windows, period light fixtures, original color palette, and replicated plaster moldings for the ceiling.</p><br>
<p>The renovations to the 1932 east wing allowed for significant alterations, most notably for the new District Courtroom No. 2, which features an open, two-story space illuminated by skylights and contemporary materials and finishes. The Edward T. Gignoux USA Courthouse remains a fine example of early twentieth century Federal architecture and an important historic landmark in Portland.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1903-08: The federal government purchases the site for a new courthouse.</p><br>
<p>1908-11: The first building phase of the USA Courthouse is completed.</p><br>
<p>1931-32: The U-shaped courthouse is enclosed with a connecting wing, following the building&#39;s original plan.</p><br>
<p>1974: The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.</p><br>
<p>1988: The USA Courthouse is named in honor of Judge Edward T. Gignoux.</p><br>
<p>1992-96: A modernization project restores the original District Courtroom, and adds courtrooms and other facilities.</p><br>
<p>1999: The building receives the Institutional Preservation Award from Greater Portland Landmarks.</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Architects: James Knox Taylor; James A. Wetmore</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1908-11; 1931–32</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Location: 156 Federal Street</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Italian Renaissance Revival</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Granite</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Rotunda and spiral staircase; District Courtroom</p><br>
<p>The Gene Snyder USA Courthouse and Custom House, also known as United States Post Office, Court House and Custom House, is a historic courthouse, custom house, and post office located at Louisville in Jefferson County, Kentucky. It is the courthouse for the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under the "United States Post Office, Court House and Custom House" name.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>Construction of the Post Office, Court House and Custom House, as it was known historically, came at the end of a prosperous decade for the city of Louisville. The largest city in Kentucky, Louisville played a major role in the regional manufacturing and shipping industries, fostering an increasing population and urban development. New building projects highlighted the citys growth and prosperity, and the planned construction of the new federal building was another indication of Louisvilles rising prominence. The new federal building was constructed from 1931 to 1932, under the Supervising Architect of the USA Treasury Department James A. Wetmore.</p><br>
<p>The building was among the first recipients of artwork commissioned by the Treasury Relief Art Project, that employed painters and sculptors to incorporate art within the interiors of federal buildings nationwide. In 1935, artist Frank Weathers Long, a Kentucky native, was commissioned to paint ten murals depicting regional themes of commerce, agriculture, and sport. In 1936, with a growing need for more offices and courtrooms, the PWA also funded the addition of the sixth floor. The interior of the building was renovated in 1950, and in 1958 the sixth story was damaged by a fire, prompting additional renovations.</p><br>
<p>In 1986, the building was renamed in honor of Marion Gene Snyder. Born in Louisville in 1928, Snyder was a prominent figure in Kentucky politics, serving several public offices, including USA Congressional Representative from 1963 to 1965 and 1967 to 1987.</p><br>
<p>In 1986, the Post Office moved out, and Congress appropriated funds for a four-year renovation project to modernize the interiors and restore the key historic spaces on the first and second floors. As a result of the project, the building received numerous stewardship awards, including the 1997/98 and 1998/99 Office Building of the Year, Historic Building Category from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA); BOMA&#39;s 1999/2000 International Award for Government Building of the Year, Historic Building Category; and the 2001 Modernization Project award from Buildings Magazine. In 1999, the Gene Snyder USA Courthouse and Custom House was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The Gene Snyder USA Courthouse and Custom House is an excellent example of Classical Revival architecture, a style that federal government architects embraced during the early twentieth century as a method of symbolizing democratic ideals of government and power. More specifically, the building was inspired by the architecture of the USA Treasury Department Building in Washington, DC, designed a century earlier. Both buildings prominently feature a limestone facade composed of a long colonnade of tall, colossal columns raised on a ground-story base to an imposing and impressive effect. Unlike the Treasury Building, the Courthouse was constructed not of solid masonry, but of modern materials, including concrete and steel columns and beams, with Bedford limestone for the exterior veneer.</p><br>
<p>Encompassing an entire city block, the rectangular building rises six stories (the fifth floor is concealed on the exterior behind the limestone entablature). The facade (south elevation) facing Broadway Street features a row of 18 engaged Corinthian columns with fluted shafts poised upon a rusticated base of arched windows aligned with the fenestration above. The colonnade is framed at each end by projecting pavilions, each with four columns and crowning pediments. The secondary east and west elevations are composed of 12 colossal Corinthian columns to match those of the facade. A continuous limestone entablature, composed of an architrave, frieze, dentil molding, and cornice, and a balustraded parapet cap the south, east, and west elevations. Above this, the unadorned smooth stone walls of the sixth story are subordinate to the articulated rhythm of the lower stories. The two primary entrances are recessed within the tripartite arches at the ends of the facade, and are accessed by stairs flanked by original bronze and glass light standards with claw feet and fluted columns. The glass and bronze doors are original, and retain their decorative surrounds and elliptical transoms containing bronze grilles.</p><br>
<p>The building&#39;s interior is primarily composed of individual offices connected by central corridors, with the exception of the main lobby on the first floor. Originally designed to provide space for post office patrons, the lobby is a grand space, with an arcade extending the length of the building. The lobby is finely detailed with original pink, green, and beige marble flooring with geometric insets, marble veneer for the walls and pilasters, and a pair of marble Doric order columns at each end. Paintings by Frank Weathers Long embellish the lobby walls, with murals titled Stock Farming and Agriculture in the east lobby and Ohio River Traffic and Coal Mining in the west lobby.</p><br>
<p>The two main stairwells feature marble staircases with wrought-iron balusters and floral designs inset into wood handrails. Adjacent elevators retain their original bronze doors, displaying decorative medallions and Greek fretwork. Above the elevator doors are bronze acanthus-leaf moldings and lunettes with murals depicting postal delivery themes, also painted by Long.</p><br>
<p>The second floor includes two original federal courtrooms designed with coffered wood ceilings, marble wainscoting, decorative pilasters, and arched windows.</p><br>
<p>The law library features elegant details including Doric fluted, wood pilasters and an original plaster ceiling decorated with Greek fret band and wave molding.</p><br>
<p>From 1986 to 1990, GSA launched an extensive renovation project. The office spaces were remodeled with modern amenities and contemporary interior design, including new floor and wall finishes. At the same time, original finishes and fixtures in the historic courtrooms and lobbies were rehabilitated and restored to their 1932 condition.</p><br>
<p>The USA Custom House, also known as the Old Post Office and Custom House, is a historic government building at 423 Canal Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was designated a National Historic Landmark, receiving this designation in 1974 and noted for its Egyptian Revival columns. Construction on the building, designed to house multiple federal offices and store goods, began in 1848 and didn&#39;t finish until 1881 due to redesigns and the American Civil War. The USA Customs offices have been located there since the late 19th century.</p><br>
<p>In 2008, it became home to the Audubon Insectarium, the largest free-standing American museum dedicated to insects.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>The USA Custom House in New Orleans is one of the oldest and most important federal buildings in the Southern United States and one of the major works of architecture commissioned by the federal government in the 19th century. This monumental granite building was begun in 1848 and built over a period of 33 years. The grand Marble Hall in the center of the building is one of the finest Greek Revival interiors in the United States.</p><br>
<p>Located a few blocks from the Mississippi River, the great waterway that enabled New Orleans to become an important port city, the USA Custom House was planned in the 1840s in response to increasing trade through the Mississippi Valley. The building was also designed to accommodate other Federal offices, most notably the main post office and federal courts.</p><br>
<p>In 1847, the Treasury Department chose the design of Alexander Thompson Wood, and construction began in 1848. After Wood was replaced as architect in 1850, a succession of eight architects followed, each modifying the original design concept.</p><br>
<p>The partially completed building was first occupied in 1856 when the USA Customs Service moved into the first floor. The post office followed in November 1860, and the building served as the city&#39;s main post office through the remainder of the 19th century. Although construction was suspended during the Civil War, the building was occupied briefly by Confederate forces and then by the Union Army after New Orleans was occupied in 1862. It was also used to house captured Confederate soldiers, reportedly up to 2,000 men at one time.</p><br>
<p>Construction resumed in 1871, with the upper floor and roof plan and sections substantially revised under the direction of the Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury, Alfred B. Mullett (1834–1890), the designer of the Old Executive Office Building in Washington, DC, and many other federal buildings nationwide. Construction of the USA Custom House was completed in 1881.</p><br>
<p>In 1916, the building underwent major interior renovations following the move of the post office and courts to a new facility on Lafayette Square. Interior offices were subdivided and corridors reconfigured. Over the years, mechanical and electrical systems and suspended ceilings were added.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The impressive exterior of the USA Custom House retains its original design, which includes modified Greek and Egyptian Revival elements. The immense four-story building occupies the full trapezoidal downtown city block bounded by Canal, North Peters, Iberville, and Decatur Streets. Due to the shape of the lot, the corner of the building at Canal and North Peters Streets is rounded. The majority of the building is constructed of brick sheathed in gray granite from Quincy, Massachusetts; however, the entablature material is cast iron.</p><br>
<p>Each of the four facades is similar in design. In the center of each facade is a projecting pavilion consisting of four round, fluted, modified Egyptian, engaged columns. The first floor of the structure is faced with rusticated granite stonework. The cast-iron entablature contains widely spaced triglyphs (three vertical bands) in the frieze and dentils (small square blocks) in the cornice, and supports a triangular pediment above the central portico on each facade. Near both ends of each facade is a slightly projecting bay composed of four modified Egyptian pilasters supporting the entablature.</p><br>
<p>On the first story of the exterior of the USA Custom House are a series of blind (vacant) niches, six on each facade. The original architect intended these niches to hold heroic statues of famous Americans. When the plans for the exterior were later simplified, the idea of installing statuary was abandoned.</p><br>
<p>The floor plan of the USA Custom House is arranged around an impressive Greek Revival room known as the Marble Hall, one of the first such rooms in the country. This room is ornamented with Corinthian columns that depict the heads of the mythological god Mercury, guardian of boundaries, commerce, and roads, and the goddess Luna, whose crescent moon-shaped brow symbolizes the city&#39;s location at the crescent bend of the Mississippi River. The columns support a full classical entablature with an ornamented cornice and floral cresting. A deep cove above the cornice supports a sophisticated geometrically-composed skylight. Over the entrance at the North Peters Street end of the hall are sculptures depicting founder of New Orleans, Sieur de Bienville; General Andrew Jackson; and the pelican, the traditional symbol of Louisiana.</p><br>
<p>In 1916, the building underwent major renovations following the move of the post office and courts to a new facility on Lafayette Square. Recent GSA restoration efforts have successfully recaptured the historic appearance of the building, exposing original components such as vaulted ceilings and replicating missing or deteriorated interior elements and finishes, such as the skylight over the stairs.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1845: Congress appropriates $500 for the preparation of plans for a new USA Custom House and Construction begins.</p><br>
<p>1861: The start of the Civil War suspends construction of the USA Custom House and a temporary roof is put on the building.</p><br>
<p>1861-1865: During the war, the unfinished building is used to manufacture gun carriages for the Confederacy, as a Union headquarters, and as a Federal prison.</p><br>
<p>1871-1889: Under Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department Alfred B. Mullett, construction of the USA Custom House is completed.</p><br>
<p>1915-1916: The entire building is renovated.</p><br>
<p>1974: The USA Custom House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark.</p><br>
<p>1975-1976: Congress authorizes $6,732,000 for a major renovation, as a contribution to the country&#39;s Bicentennial.</p><br>
<p>1993: A G.S.A. rehabilitation and vacant-space-recapture project restores rooms and other interior elements to their pre-1916 condition.</p><br>
<p>2008: Becomes home to the Audubon Insectarium.</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Architect: Alexander T. Wood, principal</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1848-1881</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: National Historic Landmark</p><br>
<p>Location: 423 Canal Street</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Modified Greek/Egyptian Revival</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Gray Massachusetts granite over a steel frame, with a cast-iron entablature</p><br>
<p>Prominent Feature: Marble Hall</p><br>
<p>The John Minor Wisdom USA Court of Appeals Building is a historic courthouse located at 600 Camp Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is a courthouse for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2015 for its extensive role in adjudicating issues of the American Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. John Minor Wisdom, for whom it is now named, was a judge on the Fifth Circuit during that period.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>The John Minor Wisdom USA Court of Appeals Building originally served as the USA Post Office and Courthouse. In 1908, the New York architectural firm Hale and Rogers won a design competition for the building and USA Treasury Department officials approved their plans in 1909. Workers broke ground later that year on the site, which encompasses the block bounded by Lafayette, Camp, Magazine, and Capdeville streets overlooking Lafayette Square. Construction of the elaborate building took many years; the date 1912 is incised on the frieze on the Lafayette Street side, but the interior was not finished until 1915, with employees occupying their offices the following year. Originally, the post office occupied the entire first floor, while the Federal District Court and Court of Appeals were located on the second floor. Executive Branch agencies were on the third level.</p><br>
<p>In 1961, needing additional space, the post office moved to a new facility. Two years later, the courts also vacated. The building was unoccupied until 1965, when it served as a public high school for three years after Hurricane Betsy destroyed McDonough 35 High School. Between 1971 and 1972, the federal building underwent an extensive restoration. Upon completion, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals returned to the building as its only tenant. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and has since been featured in several films and television shows.</p><br>
<p>In 1994, the building was renamed to honor John Minor Wisdom, a respected judge who served on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals from 1957 until his death in 1999. Wisdom strongly promoted civil rights and issued landmark decisions that supported school desegregation and voter rights. In 1993, President Bill Clinton awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation&#39;s highest civilian honor.</p><br>
<p>During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, wind and rain damaged the building, but there was no flooding. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals judges and staff briefly relocated to other cities and towns in the region because of damage and power outages, but returned to the building in December 2005 when the issues were resolved.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The building is an excellent example of the Italian Renaissance Revival style of architecture. During its construction, author Russell F. Whitehead called the building "the most important public building of the New South." Regional building materials were used throughout, including Mississippi and Louisiana pine, Tennessee and Georgia marble, and Louisiana gum.</p><br>
<p>The monumental three-story building is faced in white Cherokee, Georgia, marble atop a gray granite base. The first story is articulated with deeply incised horizontal striations while the marble on the upper stories is cut in smooth ashlar blocks. Round-arch openings dominate the first story. Dramatic colonnades with Ionic columns are on the Camp and Magazine street elevations and support a cornice inscribed with the names of past Chief Justices of the Supreme Court.</p><br>
<p>Projecting corner pavilions rise slightly above the roofline; each pavilion contains an ornate arched opening flanked by marble columns, both freestanding and attached, that are striated to match the pattern on the street level. The columns support entablatures that include classical balustrades. Windows with ornately carved hoods featuring split pediments and eagle-and-shield motifs are directly above the arched openings. Ionic order pilasters separate windows on the upper stories of the pavilions. A balustrade runs between each of the pavilions at the roofline, topping the recessed portion of each elevation. Other exterior elements typical to the Italian Renaissance Revival style of architecture include classical features such as pediments, triglyphs, and dentils, which are interspersed with foliated and floral designs. A unique detail is the arch keystones that have carved fish-scale patterns.</p><br>
<p>Perhaps the most striking exterior features of the building are the groupings of four colossal statues placed at each of the buildings corners. These identical copper and bronze sculptures are called History, Agriculture, Industry, and Arts, but are popularly known as The Ladies. Each figure holds an item associated with the concept it represents. History wears a bonnet; Agriculture holds a cornucopia; Industry holds a tool; and Arts holds a flower. The figures are seated around an armillary sphere banded by the signs of the zodiac. Each sculpture is twelve feet high and weighs one ton. The renowned Piccirilli Brothers, expert marble carvers who also executed Daniel Chester Frenchs statue of President Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial, created The Ladies from drawings by architect James Gamble Rogers.</p><br>
<p>The emphasis of the 1971 to 1972 restoration effort was on the impressive public interior spaces, which were returned to their original grandeur. The first floor lobby, known as the Great Hall, is an L-shaped space with marble columns that support an elaborate bronzed castplaster vaulted ceiling. The ceiling is richly decorated with bas relief floral medallions and motifs, geometric key designs, and allegorical figures. Spherical lights are held in place by bronze pendant fixtures that descend from the vaulted ceiling. The court&#39;s law library occupies the original postal work area on the first floor.</p><br>
<p>Three courtrooms, each with an entry lobby with marble wainscot walls, are located on the second floor. The courtrooms are paneled in polished gum wood and bronze chandeliers hang from the ceiling. Distinctive wall sconces that feature large white globes supported by either cast-bronze eagles or snakes illuminate the spaces. The central courtroom is perhaps the most impressive. Called the En Banc courtroom, it was designed to seat all of the active judges on the Court of Appeals simultaneously so that they can hear important cases together. The plaster ceiling features medallions and other symbols and has been finished with a bronze glaze.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1909: Construction commences</p><br>
<p>1912: Roof sculpture installed</p><br>
<p>1915: Construction completed at a cost of $2 million and building occupied</p><br>
<p>1961: Post office vacates building</p><br>
<p>1972: Restoration completed</p><br>
<p>1974: Building listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>1994: Building renamed to honor John Minor Wisdom</p><br>
<p>2015: Building designated National Historic Landmark</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Location: 600 Camp Street</p><br>
<p>Architect: Hale and Rogers</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1909-1915</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Italian Renaissance Revival</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Marble</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Colonnades; Great Hall; "The Ladies" sculptural groupings</p><br>
<p>The United States Custom House is a historic custom house at 312 Fore Street in downtown Portland, Maine. It was built from 1867–1872 to house offices of the United States Customs Service, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>Located near Portlands waterfront, the USA Custom House is a testament to the citys maritime history. It was built to accommodate the city&#39;s growing customs business, which, by 1866, was collecting $900,000 annually in customs duties—making Portland one of the most significant seaports in the country. The building is typical of the notable designs completed under the direction of Alfred B. Mullett, Supervising Architect of the Treasury from 1865 to 1874. Constructed between 1867 and 1872, the USA Custom House combines elements of the Second Empire and Renaissance Revival styles. The need for the new USA Custom House was exacerbated by the Great Fire of July 4, 1866. The fire destroyed the Exchange Building—which had previously housed the customs office, post office and courts—as well as 1,800 other buildings in the center of the city.</p><br>
<p>Although federal funds for the construction of buildings were limited during the post-Civil War period, the importance of maintaining Portland&#39;s customs business and rebuilding the city mandated the construction of the new government facility. Plans for designing the new USA Custom House were completed in 1866. Mullett was commissioned to design the new building, as well as a new post office and courthouse (no longer extant). Construction took five years to complete amid delays in obtaining granite for the upper stories.</p><br>
<p>The USA Custom House is the best remaining example of Mullett&#39;s work in the state of Maine and continued to serve its original function until USA Customs and Border Protection moved out in 2012. A major renovation was completed in 2013 and the building now houses several other federal agencies. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The USA Custom House is a skillful blend of the Renaissance Revival and Second Empire styles, which were popular in the United States during the mid- to late 19th century. Its original design is largely intact. The three-story, free-standing, I-shaped structure is constructed of New Hampshire granite with a slate-shingled hipped roof. These fireproof materials were chosen in response to the 1866 fire.</p><br>
<p>The building rests on a sloping lot that forms an embankment along the sides and the Fore Street entrance of the building. A heavy cast-iron railing, designed of tangent ovals, rests on top of the embankment. The basement level is accented with a rusticated granite exterior finish.</p><br>
<p>The USA Custom House has a shallow I-shaped plan, with projecting pedimented entry pavilions on the Fore Street and Commercial Street facades. The entire building is dominated by large and handsome rhythmic, round-headed windows with simple keystones. The window openings are flanked by engaged Doric columns on the first and second stories. Square pilasters mark the corners of the pavilions and the facades. A cornice and balustrade surround the entire building. The cornice features ornamental triglyphs (three vertical bands separated by V-shaped grooves).</p><br>
<p>Distinctive twin, square cupolas rise above the pedimented pavilions. Double Corinthian order pilasters flank arched Venetian windows, each of which is capped with a shallow pediment. The cupolas&#39; distinctive mansard roofs are a defining feature of the Second Empire style.</p><br>
<p>The building is organized around the grand two-story customs hall, which is the building&#39;s public showplace and occupies the central portions of the first and second floors. The marble floor of the hall is laid with a sophisticated checkerboard pattern. Two counters run the length of the room and are fashioned of several different types of marble that were quarried on an island in Lake Champlain. These include a dark veined marble for the base; a red variegated marble for the pilasters, cornice and panels; a jet-black marble for the beading around the panels; and a dove-gray marble for the counters. Encircling the hall at the second floor is a narrow gallery with a decorative iron rail. The gallery is ornamented with symbols relating to commerce in the United States, including corn and tobacco leaf motifs and dolphins flanked by oak and olive leaves.</p><br>
<p>The ceiling of the customs hall is highly ornamented. A large plaster cove rises from the second-floor openings to an elaborate plaster cornice and coffered ceiling. Groin (cross) vaults over each second floor-opening extend from the cove, and the ceiling beams are decorated with a Greek key pattern and bosses (elaborate joints) at beam intersections.</p><br>
<p>An eight-foot, walnut, pedestal-mounted counter capped with a spherical clock stands at the center of the customs hall. The counter contains an octagonal writing surface decorated with flutes, bosses, a collar, and modified Ionic order scrolls.</p><br>
<p>The original walnut woodwork is still intact throughout the building, as are the Italian marble fireplaces in the offices located at both ends of the building. The offices, which are more simply designed than the main hall, consist of plaster walls, and walnut baseboards, window surrounds, and doors. The original 2 story vault for storing valuables also remains.</p><br>
<p>The USA Custom House has experienced only minor changes since it was constructed, and therefore exhibits a high degree of architectural integrity. The most notable alteration to the structure has occurred in the interior customs hall, where the original gas chandeliers have been replaced with the current surface-mounted ceiling fixtures. The basement was converted into office and dormitory space for the USA Coast Guard in 1983. The majority of the building&#39;s distinctive elements, such as the marbled checkerboard floor and decorative staircases, remain in place. In 1998, the aluminum doors, which were installed during the 1960s at the main entrances, were replaced with wooden doors similar in design and color to the original doors to the building.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1866: Supervising Architect of the Treasury, Alfred B. Mullet, designs the USA Custom House.</p><br>
<p>1867–1872: The USA Custom House is constructed.</p><br>
<p>1950s: The USA General Services Administration acquires the building.</p><br>
<p>1973: The USA Custom House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.</p><br>
<p>1983: The basement is converted into office and dormitory space for the USA Coast Guard.</p><br>
<p>1998: Restoration of the building begins with restoration of the entrance to replicate its original appearance.</p><br>
<p>2012: USA Customs relocates from the building.</p><br>
<p>2013: Restoration of the building completes.</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Architect: Alfred B. Mullett, Supervising Architect of the Treasury</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1867–1872</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Location: 312 Fore Street, Portland, Maine</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Second Empire/Renaissance Revival</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: New Hampshire granite and slate tile roof</p><br>
<p>Prominent Feature: Customs Hall</p><br>
<p>USA Custom House is a historic custom house building located at Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It is a granite, steel frame structure measuring 252 feet, 8 inches by 139 feet 6 inches. It is an exceptionally distinguished example of Beaux Arts architecture and was built from 1903 through late 1907 from plans by Hornblower and Marshall, a Washington, D.C. firm. The ceiling of the Call Room, located in the pavilion, was painted by Francis Davis Millet . It served as Baltimore’s Custom House until 1953. Since that time various Federal agencies have occupied the building.</p><br>
<p>USA Custom House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>In the 18th and 19th centuries, Baltimore flourished as one of the nations major commercial ports, its economy growing as foreign trade increased. In 1789, the First USA Congress established the United States Customs Service and named Baltimore as one of 59 collection districts. The first Baltimore custom house was at the intersection of South Gay between East Lombard and Water Streets, across from the present location. Around 1820 the government began to rent a wing of the Merchants Exchange Building to house the Customs Service. Designed by J. Maximilian Godefroy, (1765-1838), and famous British-American architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe, (1764-1820), in an H shaped structure and constructed in 1816-1820, the Merchant&#39;s Exchange Building was the largest domed building of its kind in America and a landmark of the city symbolizing its commercial importance. It continued to house the USA Customs Service, along with the USA Courthouse for District and Circuit Court of Appeals, Post Office and a branch of the Bank of the United States and separate wings for the first City Hall and another for offices of shipping companies, brokers, attorneys and related maritime businesses through the end of the 19th Century. In April 1865, the rotunda was the site of a viewing ceremony during the long procession winding through the downtown city streets for assassinated 16th President Abraham Lincoln as later his decorated train traveled through the Northern States back to his home in Springfield, Illinois for burial.</p><br>
<p>In 1900 the Treasury Department held a design competition for Baltimores third custom house. It was to be built on the site of the famed Merchants Exchange. The winning entry was by the prominent Washington, D.C. firm of Hornblower and Marshall.</p><br>
<p>The buildings cornerstone was laid on June 13, 1903 in a ceremony attended by several hundred people. On February 7–8, 1904 as construction neared the third floor, a catastrophic fire swept through downtown Baltimore. Over 1,500 buildings were destroyed, and the Custom House suffered major damage. Many of the granite blocks had been split by the heat. These had to be removed and replaced in what proved to be a difficult and costly process. The structures northwest corner was almost entirely rebuilt. Despite this setback, construction continued, and the building was completed and occupied at the end of 1907.</p><br>
<p>From the time of its completion, the Custom House was widely praised as a triumph of both design and workmanship. In 1908, the American Architect and Building News declared, "The result achieved by the intelligent cooperation of architect and artist stamps Baltimore&#39;s new Custom House as among the most successful public buildings erected in this country." Today the Custom House remains an outstanding interpretation of the Beaux-Arts vision and a monument to the dignity of the federal government.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The USA Custom House in Baltimore is located two blocks north of the Inner Harbor, on a gently sloping site bounded by Gay, Lombard, and Water Streets. The six-story building, 92 feet high from base to roof balustrade, displays an axial symmetry and imposing presence characteristic of the Beaux-Arts style. The buildings architects, Joseph C. Hornblower (1848–1908) and John Rush Marshall (1851–1927), began their careers in the Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department. They used Hornblowers training at the École des Beaux-Arts and the experiences of their European tours to apply French academic planning and organizational principles to American civic architecture.</p><br>
<p>The steel structure and masonry bearing walls are faced with granite quarried near Laurel, Maryland, and Mount Airy, North Carolina. The primary facade fronts Gay Street. A smooth-faced basement level (extending from grade up to a watertable course) rises to a heavily rusticated first floor. The second through fourth stories are articulated by three-story engaged Ionic columns, flanking the recessed window bays. Alternating segmental and triangular pediments carried on consoles top the second-story windows. The smooth columns support a full entablature and roof balustrade, which wrap around the building and conceal the attic story and flat roof.</p><br>
<p>The Gay Street entrance is approached by marble steps that are flanked by plinths with wrought-iron lamp standards with lamps resembling 18th century ship&#39;s stern lanterns. The entrance doors are protected behind wrought-iron grillework.</p><br>
<p>The west (Commerce Street) side of the building reveals an "E-shaped" plan. The double-story Call Room pavilion forms the middle arm of the "E" and is on axis with the entrance. Rusticated corners flank a five-bay window arcade. The window spandrels are decorated with carvings depicting sea monsters, shells, and other nautical ornamentation that reflect the Custom Houses proximity to Baltimores Inner Harbor. A balustraded parapet shields the copper-clad roof of the pavilion.</p><br>
<p>The main lobby has a marble floor with an inlaid brass compass design. The walls are paneled with variegated marble. The lobby is flanked by elevators and stairhalls, with marble stairs and ornamental iron and brass railings. A narrow corridor connects the lobby to the historic Call Room where customs revenues were paid.</p><br>
<p>The Call Room is the Custom Houses most impressive, and historically significant, space. The walls have paired Ionic pilasters supporting an entablature with a paneled frieze. The paneled cove rises to the central ceiling panel, measuring 63 feet by 30 feet, and adorned with a mural entitled Entering the Harbour. It depicts a fleet of ten sailing vessels: ships including a whaler, barks, a barquentine, a brig, and a schooner entering the harbor. The panels of the cove and frieze, five lunettes on the east wall, and the borders of the ceiling panel depict the evolution of navigation. They portray over 125 vessels, from ancient Egyptian ships to the R.M.S. Mauretania of 1907, accompanied by J. P. Morgans yacht, the Corsair. All of the murals were painted by Francis Davis Millet, a prominent American muralist of the period. Millet died just a few years after these murals were completed, perishing along with over 1,500 others in the sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic in 1912.</p><br>
<p>After four years of renovation and modernization work, the Custom House formally reopened in 1997.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>The USA Post Office in Le Roy, New York, serves the 14482 ZIP Code, covering the village and town of Le Roy. It is a brick and stone building on Main Street  erected in the late 1930s.</p><br>
<p>Its Colonial Revival design, featuring a hipped roof and limestone facing, is unique among post offices in the state as the only small one with a clock tower or limestone facing.</p><br>
<h2>Building</h2><br>
<p>The post office is located at the northeast corner of Main and Mill streets, at the eastern edge of downtown Le Roy, two blocks east of the Clay and Lake street (New York State Route 19). To its east a 25 ft stone retaining wall separates it from Oatka Creek, next to a partial dam. South and west are other commercial properties; a parking lot is located to the north. The lot slopes significantly enough due to the proximity of the creek, exposing the basement on the north (rear) side.</p><br>
<p>The building itself is an almost square one-story steel frame structure, five bays on the south (front), east and north and six on the west. It is faced in coursed ashlar limestone and topped by a hipped roof shingled in slate, set off by a shallow cornice and parapet with balustraded sections above the windows, around the entire roofline. In the center is a square wooden cupola with a dome, illuminated electric clock and weather vane. A wide stone chimney rises from the rear.</p><br>
<p>In the center of the south façade is the recessed main entryway, flanked by metal lanterns. Above the doors are a large radiating fanlight and a small hood supported by stone consoles. It is flanked by 12-over-12 double-hung wooden sash windows. At the end bays are recessed niches with small semicircular openings at the top. Above all the windows are carved panels depicting, in alternation, garlands and postal motifs. Metal letters affixed above them, below the cornice, spell out "UNITED STATES POST OFFICE" with smaller letters saying "LE ROY NEW YORK" in the frieze above the doors.</p><br>
<p>At the south end of the side facades are double-recessed arched 20-over-15 sash windows on slightly projecting portions with carved medallions. Other windows on those facades are identical to the flanking windows on the front. A wooden canopy shelters the loading dock at the rear.</p><br>
<p>Walled stone steps lead to the modern double metal-and-glass double doors at the main entrance. They open into a wooden vestibule. Behind it is the L-shaped main lobby, occupying four of the front five bays and stretching around the southwest corner. The postmaster&#39;s office is in the southeast corner.</p><br>
<p>It retains many original finishes, from black and white checkerboard terrazzo flooring, black marble borders and baseboard and veined gray marble wainscoting to seven feet (7 ft) along the walls. Above is a plaster wall and ceiling with molded cornice. The insides of the windows are also recessed and decorated with beaded molding. The screenline features unusual angled glass and metal grilles above the teller windows and lockboxes.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Le Roy was established in the last years of the 18th century, before the Holland Purchase, covering the vast majority of the other land in Western New York, was initiated. The intersection of the creek and a major Iroquois trail through the region (today Route 5) made it an ideal place for a mill. By 1804 it had a post office, and 30 years later it was incorporated as a village.</p><br>
<p>Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the post office was housed in a variety of rented or leased locations in the village. In 1929, Congress, lobbied by local resident Ernest L. Woodward, heir to the Jell-O fortune, authorized the construction of a dedicated facility in the village and appropriated funds for its construction as an amendment to the Public Buildings Act. It took longer to start and complete than other New Deal post offices in New York, partly due to Woodward&#39;s involvement.</p><br>
<p>Congress reiterated its authorization in another amendment two years later passed in response to the onset of the Great Depression, after Woodward donated land federal and state inspectors approved after flying over it.</p><br>
<p>Despite the lack of adequate frontage, it had other advantages that made it an ideal site. The Treasury Department, which oversaw postal construction, asked Woodward to obtain additional land along the creek from the Niagara Hudson Company, the local electric utility, for a retaining wall. He did, but the Treasury refused to accept the deed over concerns about liability the government might face from past flood damage. After many trips to Washington to lobby officials there, Woodward resolved the impasse by obtaining a surety bond absolving Niagara Hudson.</p><br>
<p>Woodward suggested that Rochester architect James Arnold, who was familiar with Le Roy&#39;s downtown, be commissioned to design the building. The recommendation was accepted, and Arnold promptly produced a building. It was reported to be "almost an exact copy" of the Radcliffe Library at Oxford University. Woodward, USA Representative Archie D. Sanders, the postmaster and village officials sent a petition to Treasury requesting that the stone used be native to the area.</p><br>
<p>Due to the change in presidential administrations and the beginning of the New Deal, a final appropriation was delayed. In November 1933 the budget was halved when president Franklin D. Roosevelt decided to focus on reforestation instead. Many village residents reconsidered whether a post office that reflected the community could be built with the limited funds available. Woodward rallied residents to lobby for the restoration of the full appropriation, and they secured it the next year. Most of the money allocated would go to building the retaining wall, after the village and the government resolved a dispute over which of them would pay for how much.</p><br>
<p>Construction was plagued by problems from the start. No local stonecutters were available, and Indiana limestone was therefore substituted for local stone. The low bidder on the job, a Kenmore contractor, went bankrupt before construction could begin in late 1935. The bonding company chose a Rochester firm to replace it, and the cornerstone was laid in August 1936, without any of the usual ceremonies. After learning that the contractor had bid on the assumption that they were to be building a brick structure, Woodward paid for the limestone facing himself.</p><br>
<p>He further intervened to delay the building&#39;s scheduled opening in the spring of 1937, dissatisfied with the roof. He felt the original flat roof, a feature of many post offices of the era, looked "squatty" and undistinguished. That summer plans for the current roof, with clock tower, were approved, and construction began again. The building was finally dedicated in 1938, almost two years to the day after construction began. It was estimated that the total cost of construction, including the monies donated by Woodward, was almost $90,000 ($ in contemporary dollars). As a result of his contribution, the Le Roy post office is the only small one in the state with a clock tower and limestone facing. Its hipped roof with parapet is also distinctive.</p><br>
<p>The United States Customhouse is a historic and active custom house at 2nd and William Streets in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Architect Robert Mills designed the custom house in 1834 in a Greek Revival style. It has been used by the USA Customs Service ever since, and today serves as a port of entry.</p><br>
<p>The building was designated a National Historic Landmark and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 for its architectural significance as one of the finest modest Greek Revival government buildings in New England.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>In 1789, New Bedford was chosen to be the administrative center of the Tenth USA Customs District. Colonel Edward Pope was chosen to be the district&#39;s first collector. By 1825, New Bedford had surpassed Nantucket as the world capital of the whaling industry, a distinction it would hold for much of the nineteenth century. In response to the importance of New Bedford as a port city, the USA Congress authorized the construction of a Custom House in 1832. The initial appropriation was $15,000, but the funds were insufficient to meet new USA Treasury Department requirements for fireproof construction. With the allocation of additional appropriations, construction began in 1834. The final cost was approximately $31,000.</p><br>
<p>The design of the USA Custom House is attributed to Robert Mills (1781–1855), architect of the USA Treasury Building and the USA Patent Office in Washington, DC. Mills also designed three other USA Custom Houses in New England at about the same time: those in New London and Middletown, Connecticut, and Newburyport, Massachusetts. Although the four Greek Revival USA Custom Houses are similar in scale, plan, materials, and detailing, the New Bedford building is the largest and most architecturally elaborate. Collectively, the buildings represent an early example of standardized construction and supervision that formed a pattern of design for the federal building program in later years.</p><br>
<p>Considered functionally outdated in 1958, the USA Custom House was extensively restored in 1962. It was listed as a contributing building in the New Bedford National Historic Landmark District in 1966. In 1970 it was designated a National Historic Landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The USA Custom House became part of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park in 1996.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The USA Custom House in New Bedford, erected between 1834–1836, is an exceptional illustration of a modest public building designed in the Greek Revival style. Located a few blocks from the waterfront, the oblong, symmetrical building occupies most of its site with the principal entrance and first story located approximately four feet above grade. Set 50-feet above the tide level with an uninterrupted view of the harbor, the USA Custom House has been a city landmark since its completion.</p><br>
<p>The design of federal buildings changed significantly following a fire in 1833 that destroyed the Executive Office Building in Washington, DC. Seeking to end the onslaught of fires, the Treasury Department instituted new requirements for fireproofing federal buildings. The initial appropriation for the USA Custom House had been for a brick building with wood framing, but Mills designed a solid masonry building. His design demonstrated skill with fireproof construction methods, which remained evident in all of his later federal commissions.</p><br>
<p>The monumental USA Custom House is five bays wide and three bays deep, rising two stories above a full basement. The structure has granite-faced, masonry-bearing walls with floors supported by brick groin-vaults and a hipped roof carried by zinc-coated wood trusses. Four chimneys rise from the center of the building enclosing the original rooftop observatory.</p><br>
<p>The dramatic portico dominates the main (east) elevation on North Second Street. This significant feature was excluded from the original contract due to its expense and decorative purpose. The high-style portico, which is characteristic of the Greek Revival style, was part of a second set of construction specifications produced in 1836. It is composed of four slightly tapered Doric order columns, twenty-five feet in height and two feet three inches in diameter. Each column consists of four pieces of stone and supports an enclosed pediment, accentuating the building&#39;s wide entablature.</p><br>
<p>The building&#39;s modest interior finishes reflect not only the frugality of the federal building program during this period, but also the sparseness of the Greek Revival style. Interior spaces are organized along a central corridor on the first floor. The stair hall runs perpendicular to the south side of the main axis. The main hall is located on the second floor, with offices and storage occupying the remaining portions of the building. Extant interior features original to the building include the groin vaults of the ceiling in the first-floor office spaces, plastered wall surfaces, molded wood service counters, and a built-in measuring device from 1859. Late 19th century wainscoting composed of beaded vertical boards and wide baseboards survive in the first-floor corridor but the original pine flooring is covered with black-and-white marble tiles. The main stair is modestly detailed with stone treads, wood handrail, and square iron balusters. The workmanship that created these stairs was described in 1837 by John L. Sibley in The American Magazine of Useful and Entertaining Knowledge, as "not surpassed by any which we have ever seen."</p><br>
<p>In the 1960s the building was extensively restored. The exterior was cleaned, the 2/2 double-hung sash wood windows installed in the 1870s were replaced with 6/6 double-hung wood sashes replicating the original windows, and the mid-nineteenth-century cupola was removed. The exterior of the building was cleaned again in 1981. Following an assessment of preservation needs, a major historic rehabilitation project is planned for the USA Custom House that includes improvements necessary for continued use of this significant national resource.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1832: Construction of the USA Custom House is authorized by Congress.</p><br>
<p>1833: Robert Mills designs the USA Custom House at New Bedford along with three other USA Custom Houses in New England.</p><br>
<p>1834-1836: The USA Custom House is constructed.</p><br>
<p>1958: A Building Evaluation Report concludes that the 120-year-old building is "functionally outdated."</p><br>
<p>1961-1962: The building is documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and is restored.</p><br>
<p>1966: The USA Custom House is listed as a contributing building in the New Bedford National Historic Landmark District.</p><br>
<p>1970: The building is designated a National Historic Landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.</p><br>
<p>1996: The building becomes part of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park.</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Architect: Robert Mills</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1834-1836</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: National Historic Landmark</p><br>
<p>Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Contributing building in the New Bedford National Historic Landmark District</p><br>
<p>Location: 37 North Second Street</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Greek Revival</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Hallowell granite</p><br>
<p>Prominent Feature: Portico</p><br>
<p>The Harold D. Donohue Federal Building and United States Courthouse, formerly known as the USA Post Office and Courthouse, is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts located in Worcester, Massachusetts.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>Established in 1722, Worcester remained a relatively small but prosperous village until the 1835 construction of the Boston & Worcester Railroad. The railroad established the town as an important commercial and industrial hub, and businesses burgeoned. In 1848, as a result of rapid growth, Worcester was incorporated as a city. The earliest postal facilities in Worcester were located in postmasters&#39; homes. In 1897, a post office was constructed on the site of the present building. As Worcester expanded in the twentieth century, it needed a courthouse and federal office space in addition to a larger post office building. Officials decided to construct a single building to meet all of those needs. Disputes arose over the selection of a site that was appropriate for a prominent federal building yet situated in a convenient location within the commercial district. Ultimately, the 1897 post office building was demolished and the site utilized for the current building, which would house the first and only presence of the United States District Court in Worcester.</p><br>
<p>The present building was constructed from 1930 to 1931 with funding made available through the Public Buildings Act of 1926. The design was approved by Louis A. Simon in the Office of the Supervising Architect under James A. Wetmore. The Murch Brothers Construction Company of St. Louis, Missouri, completed the construction for a cost of $670,000 plus an additional $37,747 for the installation of Otis Elevation Company elevators. The building officially opened in January 1932.</p><br>
<p>In 1987, the building was renamed for Harold D. Donohue, a USA Representative and World War II veteran who served in the House from 1947 to 1974. Federal Square, which fronts the northeast elevation of the building, was constructed in 1991. In 1993, the USA Post Office left the building and the interior space was reconfigured to accommodate the needs of the court.</p><br>
<p>The building was a regional winner and finalist in the Building Owners and Managers Association&#39;s The Office Building of the Year (TOBY) Award for 1996 to 1997.</p><br>
<p>The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The structure is located on a triangular lot in the southern end of the commercial district in Worcester. It is bounded by Main, Myrtle, and Southbridge streets and is adjacent to Federal Square. The five-story building is a blend of the Classical and Renaissance Revival styles of architecture. The building&#39;s design conveys the dignity and stability of the federal government, which was particularly important during the Great Depression.</p><br>
<p>Native New England materials were used to construct the building, which is divided into three horizontal zones: base, midsection, and attic story. The base is clad in West Townsend, Massachusetts, granite laid in ashlar blocks. Middle stories are sheathed in Danby, Vermont, marble. The attic story is distinct and contains bays divided by terra-cotta panels with raised relief motifs bordered by stylized palmettes and inverted waterleaf designs. The attic story is topped by a flat roof. A circular terra-cotta cupola with a colonnade (series of columns) and dome roof sits atop the building.</p><br>
<p>The narrow northeast facade serves as the principal elevation from a design perspective. It contains monumental engaged columns with granite bases, marble shafts, and terra-cotta capitals. Three arches form an arcade. The central keystone in the arch over the entrance is adorned with a scale of justice and a key motif contained within a cartouche (decorative oval). Beneath the roofline, the frieze contains three recurring motifs. A bulls skull surrounded by oak leaves and banderols is followed by a rams head festooned with fruit and nuts. A corn wreath crowned with an armorial helmet completes the trio.</p><br>
<p>The interior of the building has relatively simple finishes that remain primarily in the courtrooms, judges&#39; chambers, lobbies, stair halls, and corridors. The first-floor elevator and postal lobbies retain many original finishes. Floors are covered with pre-cast orange terrazzo set in pigmented grout with polished Travertine and Vermont marble inlay. The plaster walls have marble wainscot. Brass radiator grilles, bronze writing desks, and an iron grille above the original service entrance remain. The transom area above the opening to the staircase in the west entrance vestibule is adorned with a raised-relief plaster eagle, which conveys the federal presence.</p><br>
<p>The building was renovated between 1972 and 1973. At that time, major mail processing activities moved to a recently completed facility nearby. Hellman-Kempton Associates of Falmouth, Massachusetts, retrofitted the building for new tenants. This work left the building exterior intact, but the interior was reconfigured. The renovation included the replacement of windows; removal of skylights; and installation of new floors, ceilings, light fixtures, plumbing, and wiring. A portion of the west postal lobby and the postal workroom were divided into smaller spaces.</p><br>
<p>Between 1993 and 1995, a lightwell that extended from the second to the fifth stories in the central portion of the building was filled to accommodate additional courtrooms. In 1995, artist Michael Hachey completed a mural to commemorate the case of Quock Walker, an African-American slave who successfully sued for his freedom in a 1783 case that was popularly believed to have abolished slavery in Massachusetts.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1897: First post office building constructed on site</p><br>
<p>1930–32: Earlier post office building demolished and new building constructed</p><br>
<p>1972–73: Building renovations upon departure of majority of post office functions</p><br>
<p>1987: Building renamed to honor USA Representative Harold D. Donohue</p><br>
<p>1993–95: Courtrooms addition constructed</p><br>
<p>1996–97: Regional winner and finalist in TOBY awards</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Location: 595 Main Street</p><br>
<p>Architects: James A. Wetmore; Leers Weinzapfel Associates</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1930–32; 1993–95</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Classical and Renaissance Revival</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Granite, Marble, and Terra Cotta</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Cupola; Decorative frieze</p><br>
<p>The Federal Building and USA Courthouse, Port Huron, Michigan is a historic courthouse and federal office building located at Port Huron in St. Clair County, Michigan. It is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>The Federal Building and USA Courthouse in Port Huron, Michigan, is located on the south side of the Black River in the central business district. It has the distinction of being the oldest federal building in the State of Michigan still occupied by the federal government; it was built to house some of the government’s oldest agencies.</p><br>
<p>In 1872, Congress authorized construction of a building to house the USA Customs Service, a post office, and other federal agencies in Port Huron. Alfred B. Mullett, supervising architect of the USA Treasury Department, designed the building. Construction began in 1873, and the cornerstone was laid on October 8, 1874. It was completed in 1877 at a cost of $200,000, with tenants occupying their new building in May of that year. In 1916, a classical fountain that originally stood in front of the building was replaced with a war memorial. In 1930, Congress appropriated $115,000 for an addition to the building. The Office of the Supervising Architect under James A. Wetmore, oversaw design of the one-story addition. Construction of the addition was completed in 1933.</p><br>
<p>In 1959–1960, the post office vacated the building and, at a cost of $250,000, the first floor was renovated to house the Social Security Administration. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Federal courts continue to occupy the building&#39;s second floor. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection maintains offices in the building.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The three-story Federal Building and USA Courthouse is an example of Renaissance Revival style with Greek Revival influences. The load-bearing exterior walls are built of limestone at the ground level and sandstone on the upper three stories. Constructed in 1873–1877, the original portion of the building has front and rear (north and south) elevations divided into nine bays, while the east and west sides contain five bays. The north and south elevations are highlighted by centered three-bay pavilions topped by pediments with dentil-block molding. The north facade originally contained three entrances, but only the center entrance remains, and the flanking entries have been converted into windows. The entry has a half-glass door with sidelights and a square transom, with historic light fixtures to either side. The first- and second-story windows are rectangular, while the third-story windows are smaller and square. Both the window and door openings are trimmed with flat stone arches detailed with egg-and-dart carvings.</p><br>
<p>A sandstone water table caps the foundation wall. Deeply cut pilasters define the bays on the first story and terminate in Doric capitals at a flat entablature that forms a belt course between the first and second stories. On the second and third stories, the pilasters rise to the base of the low-pitched roof and terminate in simplified Corinthian order capitals. A cornice composed of stone brackets and dentils sits atop the pilasters. The building is topped by an octagonal cupola pierced by windows flanked by engaged pilasters and topped with bracketed pediments. The copper-clad mansard roof features oval windows accented with decorative stone surrounds with keystones. In 1986–1987, a $1.15 million exterior restoration and copper roofing project was completed.</p><br>
<p>The interior features an original cast-iron staircase adjacent to the eastern entrance. It is highlighted by a continuous iron balustrade with a wooden railing and decorative newel posts. The original postal lobby, once stretching the length of the building along the north facade, was completely removed by 1959–1960 renovation work, but was restored in 2008 under the First Impressions Initiative of the USA General Services Administration (GSA). The initiative uses historic building outlease funds to reclaim the architectural integrity of altered entrances and lobbies. Utilizing historic photos, GSA recreated the original lobby volume, architectural details, and ornamentation, reestablishing the building as a community landmark.</p><br>
<p>On upper stories, the stair lobbies open to corridors leading to offices and courtrooms. The corridors retain wood wainscoting, moldings, and trim with classical details around the doors and windows. Crown molding extends along the ceiling. The remaining interior spaces of the original building and addition have been renovated over the years to accommodate new office uses.</p><br>
<p>The materials and design of the one-story rear addition, built in 1932–1933, generally match the original building. The west elevation continues the rusticated pilasters and projecting belt course, but is terminated by a flat, stone parapet at the second-story level.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>1873–1877: Federal Building and USA Courthouse constructed</p><br>
<p>1932–1933: Addition constructed</p><br>
<p>1974: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>1986–1987: Exterior restoration and copper roof project completed</p><br>
<p>2007–2008: Postal lobby restored by GSA</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Location: 526 Water Street</p><br>
<p>Architects: Alfred B. Mullet; James A. Wetmore</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1873–1877; 1932–1933</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Renaissance Revival</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Sandstone and limestone</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Classically detailed facade; Octagonal cupola with mansard roof; Stone cornice with carved brackets; Original cast iron staircase</p><br>
<p>The United States Courthouse and Post Office, also known as Federal Courts Building, is a historic courthouse and post office located at Kansas City in Jackson County, Missouri. It was formerly the courthouse of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>Acting as a point of departure during the great migration to the West, Kansas City experienced phenomenal urban growth and development during the early years of the twentieth century. By 1930, the citys increasing population warranted a new federal building to replace an existing post office and custom house. The 1930s New Deal programs, created to generate employment during the widespread economic downturn of the Great Depression, provided funding for construction of new federal buildings nationwide. Responding to Kansas Citys need for a larger, more efficient building, the program funded a new USA Post Office and Courthouse in 1935. The buildings construction, from 1938 to 1939, symbolized the ideals of the progressive public works projects. As one of the New Deals last major construction projects of the 1930s, the USA Post Office and Courthouse provided modern space to accommodate the burgeoning presence of the federal government in Kansas City.</p><br>
<p>The buildings architectural design was produced by the prominent local architecture firm Wight and Wight, whose distinguished civic work includes the Jackson County Courthouse (1934), City Hall (1937), and the Municipal Courts Building (1938). These projects, including the USA Post Office and Courthouse, represent Wight and Wights shift from the Classical Revival, which previously dominated federal architecture, toward the Moderne movement that was beginning to emerge nationwide during the 1930s. The Courthouse&#39;s abstracted classicism with Art Deco references embodies this stylistic transition.</p><br>
<p>In 1952, the building received national attention when Thurgood Marshall represented the plaintiff of the Swope Park Swimming Pool desegregation case. As the first major desegregation case in Kansas City, the deliberations stirred the burgeoning Civil Rights movement.</p><br>
<p>Plans have been made to renovate the entire building to accommodate new, nonfederal tenants as part of an upcoming outlease program. The USA Post Office and Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The USA Post Office and Courthouse artfully embodies the Art Modern style that was becoming increasingly influential by the late 1930s - a time when many federal architects experimented with abstracted classical motifs combined with a reduction in architectural ornament. The building&#39;s flat planes of Indiana limestone are nearly devoid of classical ornamentation, which is limited to the punctuated regular rhythm of elongated bays.</p><br>
<p>Encompassing a full city block along Grand Avenue, each of the four sides of the immense ten-story edifice is similar in design, divided into three horizontal sections. The facades (west elevations) three-story base rises with smooth walls pierced by elongated bays enclosing the first- and second-story windows, which are divided by decorative spandrels. Each bay is pierced by paired punched windows separated by limestone mullions at the third story. A series of wide granite steps with bronze handrails leads from Grand Avenue to the three central bays enclosing the entrances. The striking dark texture of the cast-bronze door framing and grill work above exhibit restrained classical detailing, and contrast with the light tones and smoothness of the pale-gray Indiana limestone walls.</p><br>
<p>The upper stories are set back from the base at each elevation, rising five stories in similarly planar limestone walls. The fifth story echoes the fourth-story fenestration and creates the building&#39;s middle section by an elegant string course of Greek fretwork. The bays above are elongated to enclose eleven bays of four-story stacked fenestration, with each window divided by decorative aluminum spandrels repeated from the base. Above the ninth story is a wide entablature, composed of a blank architrave and frieze, and a simple cornice.</p><br>
<p>The interiors retain their original design and continue the spare ornamentation with emphasis on fine materials and abstracted geometric motifs. The vestibule is clad in marble upon a black granite base and features original bronze sidelights flanking each doorway and adjacent recessed wood-paneled telephone niches. The T-shaped central lobby is finished with multicolor terrazzo floors, golden-veined Genevieve marble for the walls, and high plaster ceilings. The cream-colored terrazzo is bordered with black and green terrazzo cross bands to reflect the geometric patterns of the ceiling beams. Marble pilasters detailed with Greek fretwork divide the walls into three bays, while four freestanding, rectangular marble-clad columns dominate the central space. The former postal lobby has similarly refined materials of marble pilasters and terrazzo flooring, with marble wainscoting at the service windows.</p><br>
<p>At the east side of the central lobby, molded marble surrounds with black granite plinth blocks enclose a bank of six elevators. The north and south lobby walls contain marble-framed double doors with panelized details; these doors lead to the main stairwells, where flights of pink marble stairs and brass railings ascend to the north and south lobbies.</p><br>
<p>Four historic courtrooms, located on the fourth and sixth floors, exude modernity with elegant finishes, making them the most historically significant spaces within the building. The courtrooms are nearly identical, rising two stories and featuring leather-covered doors, light and dark cork-tile flooring, pink-granite baseboards, and wood-paneled wainscoting. Pilasters divide the space into regular bays, rising to support wood trim and plaster crown moldings. The recessed ceiling panels contain two original brass pendant lights and a large circular aluminum air grille, and are divided by wide beams adorned with gold-leaf paint finishes. The courtrooms are windowless, relying on advanced lighting and an air-conditioning system, considered to be state-of-the-art when the building was completed.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1935: Congress appropriates $3,300,000 for the construction of the new USA Post Office and Courthouse building.</p><br>
<p>1938: The ceremonial cornerstone is laid and construction begins under the supervision of local architects Wight & Wight.</p><br>
<p>1939: The building opens for business.</p><br>
<p>1952: Thurgood Marshall represents the plaintiff of the Swope Park Swimming Pool desegregation.</p><br>
<p>2007: The building was listing on the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Architect: Wight & Wight</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1938-39</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Location: 811 Grand Blvd.</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Art Moderne</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Indiana Limestone over steel and cast-in-place concrete</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Exterior bronze ornament; Historic courtrooms</p><br>
<p>The Mike Mansfield Federal Building and United States Courthouse is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the District of Montana, located in Butte, Montana. Completed in 1904, the building was expanded from 1932 to 1933.</p><br>
<p>It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 as U. S. Post Office. It has also been known as Federal Building and USA Court House. It is a contributing building in the NRHP-listed Butte Historic District.</p><br>
<p>The building was renamed to honor the late Michael Joseph Mansfield (1903–2001), a USA representative and senator, in 2002.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>The building has a colorful history that spans more than 100 years. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the frontier town of Butte was a vibrant copper-mining center, attracting numerous immigrant groups and becoming a "melting pot" of the frontier. Butte became the site of the government&#39;s fourth largest immigration office and consequently needed a federal building.</p><br>
<p>The building, which was constructed to serve as a combined courthouse and post office, was designed by Supervising Architect of the United States Treasury Department James Knox Taylor, who was noted for designing many post office buildings between 1897 and 1912. The cornerstone of the building was laid in May 1903. The building was constructed for a cost of $300,000, and was dedicated on December 8, 1904. At that time, it was within a block of several mines and dozens of wood frame lodging and commercial buildings. After the building opened, the elaborate courtroom was the site of numerous naturalization ceremonies as thousands of immigrants became citizens.</p><br>
<p>One of the most dramatic incidents in Butte history occurred in the courtroom on May 21, 1924, during Prohibition, which outlawed the sale, manufacture, or transportation of liquor. John OLeary, a convicted bootlegger, began shooting a gun wildly about the crowded courtroom before turning it on himself. OLeary survived, and no one else was injured. One bullet hit the bench, narrowly missing the judge, and a bullet hole in the upper portion of the side rear courtroom door remains.</p><br>
<p>The Mike Mansfield Federal Building and USA Courthouse is located within the Butte National Historic Landmark district, which was designated in 1961. When the National Historic Preservation Act was passed in 1966, the district was also listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 1979, the building was listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places. The building was renamed to honor Mike Mansfield, one of Montana&#39;s most notable and beloved statesmen, in 2002.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The building is located within an area that was once the core of Butte&#39;s bustling business district and is also close to local mining activity. Early drawings indicate the presence of tunnels and mine shafts on the building site. Architect James Knox Taylor expertly adapted the building design to the sloping terrain.</p><br>
<p>Constructed between 1903 and 1904, the building is an excellent example of the Renaissance Revival style of architecture, which was popular during the Victorian era. One hallmark of the style that is present on the building is the rusticated first story, which consists of smooth blocks of terra cotta with deep, horizontal grooves between the blocks. Other typical features include the roof balustrade and the use of corner blocks called quoins. The architect chose the Renaissance Revival style to display the governments taste and refinement; the massing and materials lend a sense of permanence to the structure and assert the federal governments presence in Butte. The building was constructed of fireproof materials in accordance with a local ordinance that was passed after a fire in 1879 destroyed numerous wood-frame buildings in the town.</p><br>
<p>The facade of the Mike Mansfield Federal Building and USA Courthouse is arranged symmetrically and has a projecting central pavilion. The facade features exceptionally high-quality materials. The entrance steps and the basement elevations are composed of coursed, cut granite. The first story is faced with pale terra cotta and is topped by a belt course that encircles the building. Bricks on the second and third stories are laid in a pattern called Flemish bond that consists of alternating headers and stretchers. Many of the decorative components of the building are executed in terra cotta and include the quoins, the elaborate entablature that tops the building, the roof balustrade, and the central cartouche (scrolled, oval ornament). An eagle ornament above the main entrance expresses the federal presence in Butte.</p><br>
<p>The interior of the building also features high-quality materials. The most impressive space is the courtroom, which dominates the second and third stories. The courtroom doors are solid oak, as is the hand-carved judge&#39;s bench. Tall windows are topped with round arches and flanked with marble pilasters (attached columns). The vaulted ceiling displays decorative plaster, adding to the stateliness of the space.</p><br>
<p>The Copper Street lobby, which features marble wainscot, is another important interior space that retains original finishes. An ornate stairway that extends from the basement to the third story is a focal point of the interior. The stairway&#39;s treads are rose-colored marble. Terrazzo flooring is found throughout the building, although some areas have been covered with other types of floor covering. Other portions of the interior contain polished white Vermont marble baseboards, wainscot, and pilasters.</p><br>
<p>The building originally had a U-shaped footprint, but was enlarged in 1932 and 1933. The addition was designed by James A. Wetmore, Acting Supervising Architect of the USA Treasury Department at that time. Wetmore&#39;s addition respects both the design and materials of the original portion of the building. The addition more than doubled the usable square footage of the building. In 1965, the post office moved out of the building, and the Main Street lobby was altered substantially. Subsequent interior alterations occurred in 1992, when much of the first floor was modernized for new tenants.</p><br>
<h2>Significant Events</h2><br>
<p>1879: Butte incorporated</p><br>
<p>1903-1904: Federal Building and USA Courthouse constructed</p><br>
<p>1932-1933: Building addition constructed</p><br>
<p>1961: Butte National Historic Landmark district designated</p><br>
<p>1965: Post office vacated and Main Street lobby altered</p><br>
<p>1966: Butte historic district listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>1979: Federal Building and United States Courthouse individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>1992: Interior remodeled</p><br>
<p>2002: Building renamed to honor Montana statesman Mike Mansfield</p><br>
<h2>Building Facts</h2><br>
<p>Location: 400 North Main Street</p><br>
<p>Architects: James Knox Taylor; James A. Wetmore</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1903-1904 1932-1933</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Individually listed in National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Located within the Butte National Historic Landmark District and the Butte National Register of Historic Places district</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Renaissance Revival</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Granite Terra Cotta Red Brick</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Formal facade Courtroom with decorative plaster and marble details</p><br>
<h2>Attribution</h2><br>
<p>The Federal Building, USA Post Office and Courthouse, Missoula, Montana, is a building housing various services of the United States federal government. Built between 1911 and 1913, an expansion initiated in 1927 and completed in 1929 allowed the building to serve thereafter as a courthouse of the United States District Court for the District of Montana. The building was again expanded in the 1930s, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>Missoula began as a small village in the 1860s, but grew quickly when it became a hub of the Northern Pacific Railroad in the 1880s. By the start of the 20th century, it was an important regional trading center for western Montana, northern Idaho, and eastern Washington.</p><br>
<p>Because of the growing population and the subsequent need for services, Missoula was selected as the location for a federal building. In 1907, the government purchased four lots along Cedar Street, which was later renamed Broadway Street, for $19,850. The Supervising Architect of the Treasury, James Knox Taylor, designed the new building, and construction commenced in January 1911. The building opened in 1913, and the original tenants were the USA Postal Service and the USA Forest Service. The Daily Missoulan called the building "a handsome structure, an ornament to the city."</p><br>
<p>As Missoula continued to grow, additional space for federal functions was needed. In 1927, James A. Wetmore, acting supervising architect of the USA Treasury Department, designed an extension and an annex to the original building to house judicial functions. Construction was completed in 1929, and the building hosted its first session of USA District Court on December 5, 1929. Despite the increase in space, the building required another enlargement in the 1930s. Designed by Louis A. Simon of the USA Treasury Department, the second annex was dedicated on October 13, 1937.</p><br>
<p>The building, which has served as the headquarters for the Northern Region of the USA Forest Service since 1914, was the location of the investigation into the tragic 1949 fire at Mann Gulch in the Helena National Forest. Thirteen firefighters, who were members of an elite USA Forest Service team known as the smokejumpers, died when the blaze blocked their escape route. The 1952 film Red Skies of Montana was based on the Mann Gulch fire, and one of the scenes features the Federal Building, USA Post Office and Courthouse.</p><br>
<p>The majority of postal functions moved out of the building in 1974, but a small post office remains. Numerous federal agencies occupy the building today. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The district court now meets in the Russell Smith Courthouse, across the street.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The Federal Building, USA Post Office and Courthouse is located on a block bounded by Broadway, Pine, and Pattee streets, near the central business area. The original architect, James Knox Taylor, designed the building in the Italian Renaissance Revival style of architecture, which was commonly used for federal building design throughout the country. Its classically inspired design conveyed the dignity of the federal government.</p><br>
<p>The building is three stories in height and utilizes a steel-frame and reinforced-concrete structural system. Despite the additions of the annexes, the building presents a cohesive appearance because both additions were designed to be compatible with the original building. The foundation is clad in smooth-faced granite, and limestone ashlar covers the principal facade and side elevations. The rear elevation is clad in economical buff-colored brick.</p><br>
<p>The building displays many character-defining features of the Italian Renaissance Revival style of architecture. Deep ribs in the limestone define the first story. The symmetrical facade features arched entrances. Prominent limestone window surrounds on the second and third stories are another common feature. The upper stories are defined by a series of two-story pilasters (attached columns) that have Corinthian capi-tals with ornate acanthus leaf patterns. A carved ornamental eagle on the 1929 annex conveys the federal significance of the building.</p><br>
<p>The original building is separated from the 1929 expansion by a narrow connector topped with a glass-enclosed atrium, which the USA Forest Service originally used as a greenhouse. A single-story addition housing conference rooms was added in 1952 and is the last enlargement.</p><br>
<p>The post office lobby, which is part of the original building, retains many historic features and finishes. The floors are covered in gray terrazzo set within a gray marble border. The marble extends up the wall to form wainscot. Above the wainscot, the walls are covered with plaster and feature pilasters similar to those on the exterior. A dentil (rectangular block) course encircles the lobby. The ceiling is covered with painted plaster panels divided by beams. Original bronze pendant light fixtures and sconces illuminate the space. Original oak doors remain.</p><br>
<p>The 1937 annex lobby also retains many original features. The floor is covered with panels of alternating light and dark marble that are arranged on a 45-degree angle with the lobby walls. The walls are covered with deep beige marble, and each contains a centrally placed arched opening. The walls are trimmed in dark gray marble at the base, while a molded wood cornice with a dentil course tops the space. The plaster ceiling features a decorative circular medallion from which a bronze pendant light descends.</p><br>
<p>The arched opening on the west leads to an exit that is framed with darkly stained wood and contains a fanlight. Decorative bronze medallions flank the exit. To the east, the arched opening leads to an elevator that has original bronze doors and surrounds.</p><br>
<p>Although the courtroom is no longer used for judicial purposes, some original features remain since conversion into office space. Original wood and leather doors are in place. Paneled wood wainscot covers the walls and a painted wood cornice tops the room. Three two-story arched windows are symmetrically placed on the north wall of the courtroom. The molded wood surrounds and mullions are original.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1911–1913: Original building constructed</p><br>
<p>1929: First annex completed</p><br>
<p>1937: Second annex completed</p><br>
<p>1949: Mann Gulch fire investigation</p><br>
<p>1974: Majority of postal functions leave the building</p><br>
<p>1979: Building listed in National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Location: 200 East Broadway Street</p><br>
<p>Architects: James Knox Taylor; James A. Wetmore; Louis A. Simon</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1911–1913; 1927–1929; 1937</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Italian Renaissance Revival</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Granite and Limestone</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Classical details; Postal lobby</p><br>
<p>The Federal Building, Grand Island, Nebraska is a historic post office, federal office and courthouse building located at Grand Island in Hall County, Nebraska. It is no longer used as a courthouse for the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>In 1859, just two years after they founded Grand Island, Nebraska, German settlers established the community&#39;s first post office. For many years, however, the post office shared space with various commercial establishments. When Congressman George W. Norris secured funding for a new post office building during the early years of the 20th century, Grand Island was one of the last major cities in Nebraska to lack this important type of public building.</p><br>
<p>Supervising Architect of the Treasury James Knox Taylor designed the new post office and federal building in Grand Island, authorizing the final architectural plans in 1908. Workers completed the building, which officially opened on November 26, 1910, at a cost of $108,000. By this time, Grand Island was the third largest city in Nebraska and its economy was thriving.</p><br>
<p>Postal facilities occupied the first floor of the new building, while the second floor held a two-story district courtroom and associated court offices. As its population increased, Grand Island required expanded postal services and additional federal office space. In 1933, local architect Charles W. Steinbaugh designed an addition to the building, which opened in 1935. Two years later, the post office began housing the headquarters for Grand Island&#39;s Works Progress Administration (WPA) district office, a function that it served until 1939.</p><br>
<p>In 1968, the USA Postal Service vacated the building after securing a new facility. The same year, the USA General Services Administration purchased the building and renovated the first floor into office space for federal agencies. Current tenants include the FBI, Bureau of Reclamation, and USA Fish and Wildlife Service.</p><br>
<p>The Federal Building is located in downtown Grand Island, in close proximity to the county courthouse and various retail establishments and residential buildings. The Grand Island Federal Building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 to recognize its architectural significance and contribution to community development.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The Grand Island Federal Building is a visually restrained but striking local landmark, occupying the southwest corner of the intersection of West Second and North Locust streets. Supervising Architect of the Treasury James Knox Taylor preferred classically inspired styles, deeming them appropriately dignified for public architecture. The Federal Building is an example of the Neoclassical architectural style, exhibiting design components derived from Greek, Roman, and Renaissance traditions. Taylor also supported the use of high-quality building materials, ensuring that the buildings constructed under his tenure would have lasting presences in their towns and cities.</p><br>
<p>The two-story Federal Building faces north onto Second Street. It is constructed of buff-colored brick, some of which is laid in decorative herringbone patterns, with limestone trim. The original portion of the building, which is constructed on a limestone foundation, is symmetrical, with the 1935 addition extending to the west. The central block projects slightly, articulating the entrance, which is reached by a small flight of stairs. A large wood door with carved medallions and inset metal grilles is centered in the central block. The first story features three round-arch openings that contain cast-iron frames and transoms with decorative circular, oval, and floral patterns. The arched openings are topped with scrolled limestone keystones flanked by circular medallions. Vertically aligned with the arches on the second story of the facade, three central windows feature small balconets with cast-iron balustrades. The bays are divided by two-story pilasters with stylized capitals. The pilasters support a classical entablature that features an architrave, frieze, and cornice with a dentil course. On the original portion of the building, other openings are rectangular and topped by flat arches with limestone keystones. A roofline brick parapet wall with limestone coping and pedestals is on the original portion of the building. A secondary entrance, located on the east elevation, features a limestone surround with a decorative lintel carved with a foliated motif. An original cast-iron light fixture with replacement globe extends from the lintel. The rear elevation contains an original U-shaped light court. The chimney, clad in brick and topped with a limestone cap, extends from the southeastern corner of the low-pitched hipped roof, which is covered with standing-seam metal. The 1935 addition is constructed of buff-colored brick, but lacks the original structure&#39;s decorative classical details.</p><br>
<p>The postal lobby once spanned the length of the facade on the first floor. Although the postal lobby features have been removed, original materials remain. These finishes include the terrazzo and marble floor, and marble and plaster walls. Round-arch openings with wood frames and a vaulted ceiling with original pendant chandeliers dominate the space. An original staircase with dark green marble risers and pink marble treads at the east end of the lobby provides access to the second floor. An ornate cast-iron lamp post atop a marble pedestal and surmounted by a spherical globe is located adjacent to the staircase. On the second floor, the two-story courtroom has been subdivided, but the corridors retain original materials, including terrazzo and marble flooring, plaster walls, and wood doors and frames.</p><br>
<p>Over the course of the buildings history, it has under-gone periodic upgrades and renovations, not always in keeping with the structures historic character. In 1979 and 1980, original wood-sash windows were replaced with aluminum windows; however, the windows&#39; original dimensions remain intact. Recently, GSA corrected some prior work that altered historic features. Most notably, the agency removed an inappropriate aluminum door from the Locust Street elevation and installed a replica of the original door.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>1908 Construction begins</p><br>
<p>1910 Construction completed and building occupied</p><br>
<p>1933-1935 Addition constructed</p><br>
<p>1968 Post office relocates; GSA purchases building and begins renovation</p><br>
<p>1979-1980 Original wood-sash windows replaced</p><br>
<p>2006 Building listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Location: 203 West Second Street</p><br>
<p>Architects: James Knox Taylor; Charles W. Steinbaugh</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1908-1910; 1933–1935</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Neoclassical</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Buff-colored Brick; Limestone</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Arched Openings with Ornate Limestone Keystones; Original Lobby with Historic Finishes</p><br>
<p>The Santiago E. Campos United States Courthouse is a historic courthouse building located at Santa Fe in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. Formerly designated simply as the United States Courthouse, it was renamed for the late District Judge Santiago E. Campos in 2004.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>The building had its beginnings as the proposed territorial capitol for New Mexico. In 1848 under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico ceded what is now New Mexico, Arizona, California, Texas, and portions of Colorado, Utah and Nevada, to the United States. The New Mexico territorial government was established two years later. In 1851 Congress appropriated $20,000 and in 1854 an additional $50,000 to construct a "state house" on what is now Federal Plaza.</p><br>
<p>Plans for the building were prepared by the Supervising Architect of the Treasury, Ammi B. Young, perhaps based on sketches by Chief Justice Joab Houghton, a member of the USA Territorial Supreme Court for New Mexico. Construction began in 1853, with the walls rising one-and-one-half stories above the basement by the following year. Construction continued intermittently due to limited funding, lack of competent workmen, and difficulties imposed by the Civil War. As the years wore on, the half-built structure was essentially abandoned.</p><br>
<p>In 1883 the building grounds were chosen as the site for Santa Fe&#39;s "Tertio-Millennial" celebration, and the building shell received a temporary roof. The grounds were cleared and an oval racetrack, about 1/3 mile long, was set up surrounding the site. Indian participants were housed in the first floor during the celebration.</p><br>
<p>The "state house" was finally finished in 1889, although it was never used for this purpose. Instead, at its completion, it was occupied by a land claims court and has housed various federal courts since that time. The territorial capitol building was constructed on another site in Santa Fe between 1895 and 1900. New Mexico became a state in 1912.</p><br>
<p>As the needs of the courts exceeded the building&#39;s capacity, an addition was planned that echoed the original Greek Revival style. This addition was built in 1929-1930 under the direction of Louis A. Simon, Superintendent of the Architectural Section of the Treasury Department. It more than doubled the overall size of the courthouse.</p><br>
<p>The USA Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The courthouse is located adjacent to the Santa Fe Post Office in Federal Plaza. The plaza is enclosed by a stone wall with metal pipe railings that follows the outline of the 1883 racetrack.</p><br>
<p>The Greek Revival courthouse building, originally intended to be the capitol, was constructed in two stages; the first in 1853-1854 and the second in 1888-1889. The Greek Revival style of the original design with prominent pediment and porticos is characteristic of the work of Ammi B. Young, Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department. However, other elements of the design including the roof and second-story window treatments have a character more reminiscent of the Renaissance Revival architectural style of the late 1880s. To the north of the original building is a 1929-30 addition. Both buildings are rectangular, and are oriented parallel to each other, with the addition being slightly smaller than the original building. A two-story vestibule, built at the same time as the addition, connects the buildings at their midpoints. A semicircular projecting bay on the vestibule&#39;s east elevation encloses an elegant, interlocking cantilevered stairway.</p><br>
<p>The courthouse walls are of rough stone quarried in the Hyde Park area of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, while details such as quoins and lintels are of dressed stone from the hills of Cerrillos, a small town about eighteen miles southwest of Santa Fe. Both buildings are two stories tall and have the same symmetrical layout. The north and south elevations of both structures are articulated by nine bays, while the shorter east and west elevations are three bays wide.</p><br>
<p>The south elevation of the original building recalls the Greek Revival style, as interpreted in the 1880s. The classical entrance with fluted Doric order pilasters and elaborate entablature replaced the original in 1929-1930. The arched windows above have ornamental stone trim. A broad pediment surmounts the center section of the elevation. Porticos with Ionic columns mark the east and west entrances, though only the one over the west entrance is original. (The east portico was constructed with the 1929-1930 addition). The windows of the first floor are of simple rectangular design; in the unfinished 1853-1854 structure, these window openings had segmental arches. The second-story windows are arched with elegant cut-stone moldings in the original building and rubble stone detailing in the addition. A copper-clad bracketed cornice supports the low-pitched, hipped copper roof.</p><br>
<p>In an 1884 ceremony attended by about 5,000 people, a sandstone obelisk erected by the Grand Army of the Republic was unveiled at the main entrance of the building. The monument honored Christopher "Kit" Carson (1809–1868), a veteran of the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War.</p><br>
<p>Six murals of landscapes are placed on the walls near the north and south entrances of the original building. Commissioned as a WPA project, they were completed in 1938 by noted Santa Fe painter and designer William Penhallow Henderson, who is credited as a co-founder of the Santa Fe Art Colony and with popularizing the Pueblo Revival style of architecture.</p><br>
<p>A major restoration project undertaken by the USA General Services Administration (GSA) was completed in 2002. The roof and limestone decorative elements were cleaned and repaired. The large bronze doors at the main entrance, which had become blackened over the years, were thoroughly cleaned and polished, returning them to their former brilliance. Differential settlement of the sandstone exterior walls over many years had caused roof framing above Judge Campos&#39; courtroom and offices to pull loose where attached to supporting walls. New steel framing within the attic space, hidden from view, was installed during this restoration to prevent eventual collapse of the roof that otherwise would eventually occur had the timber framing continued to pull apart. Repairs were made to the Kit Carson memorial to correct cracking in the sandstone. GSA was recognized for its stewardship of the USA Courthouse with a State of New Mexico Heritage Preservation Award in May, 2000. The completed project was recognized with a 2002 "Muchas Gracias" historic preservation award from the City of Santa Fe.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1853: Construction begins on the building.</p><br>
<p>1883: The building grounds are selected as the site for New Mexico&#39;s "Tertio-Millennial" celebration.</p><br>
<p>1884: A sandstone obelisk is erected as a memorial to Kit Carson, legendary soldier in the Grand Army of the Republic.</p><br>
<p>1889: Construction is completed.</p><br>
<p>1929-1930: An addition is constructed to the north of the original building.</p><br>
<p>1938: Six murals by William Penhallow Henderson, commissioned by the Public Works of Art Project and completed through the Treasury Relief Art Project, are installed near the north and south entrances.</p><br>
<p>1973: The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.</p><br>
<p>2002: Restoration work on the courthouse exterior and Kit Carson Memorial obelisk is completed.</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Architect: Ammi B. Young, Supervising Architect of the Treasury; Louis A. Simon, Superintendent of the Architectural Section of the Treasury Department</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1853-1889; two-story addition and connecting vestibule, 1929–1930</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Location: East end of Federal Place</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Greek Revival</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Rubble stone and variegated limestone</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Cantilevered marble stairway; Kit Carson Memorial obelisk; WPA Murals</p><br>
<p>The Federal Building and USA Courthouse, Wheeling, West Virginia is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia located in the city of Wheeling, West Virginia. Built in 1907, the building still serves its original function, and was renovated and expanded in 1937, and again in 2004. In 1979, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 as a contributing building to the Wheeling Historic District.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>In 1849, the first suspension bridge spanning the Ohio River was constructed at Wheeling, providing a new route to the West along the National Road. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad mainline reached Wheeling in 1853, prompting a dramatic increase in population, commerce, and industry. As a result of its proximity to important transportation routes, Wheeling prospered. It served as the capital of West Virginia from 1863 to 1870 and 1875 to 1885. Consequently, Wheeling outgrew the 1859 USA Custom House (now West Virginia Independence Hall) designed by Ammi B. Young. In 1902, federal officials obtained a site for a proposed new structure. The public initially criticized the site selection because it was located away from the center of the city. However, following the 1907 completion of the building, which included a post office, courthouse, and custom house, development soon shifted to the north.</p><br>
<p>The Federal Building and USA Courthouse was constructed under the Tarsney Act of 1893, which allowed the United States Department of the Treasury to hold competitions for the design of select federal buildings with the intention of improving governmental architecture&#39;s quality. The Wheeling federal building, designed in the Beaux Arts Classicism style, set a high standard for architectural excellence. Marsh & Peter, a prominent firm with several Washington, D.C., commissions, designed the building. Wheeling architect Frank Faris served as the local project superintendent.</p><br>
<p>The building has been expanded and altered several times. In 1937, as Wheeling required increased services, architect George W. Petticord designed an addition that complemented the original building&#39;s Beaux Arts character. Completed in 1938, this expansion accommodated a new post office and district courtroom. Petticord, a Wheeling native, also completed plans for a dramatic interior renovation that replaced many original finishes. In 1999, a small wing was added to the rear of the building to create more secure holding and circulation areas for detainees. Most recently, HLM Design with Goody, Clancy & Associates, designed a dramatic glass annex. Completed in 2004, it contains federal agency offices and court-related spaces.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The courthouse is a stately example of Beaux Arts Classicism architecture, providing downtown Wheeling with an elegant building that conveys the federal government&#39;s former dignity. The granite building displays many character-defining features of the Beaux Arts Classicism style, including a symmetrical, monumental facade and paired columns. The first-story stonework is rusticated with incised horizontal bands, contrasting with the smooth blocks of the upper stories. The recessed main entrance is framed by a wide surround, which is in turn encircled by a carved garland. An ornate oval medallion with a garland, acanthus leaves, and a shell motif tops the doorway. Rectangular, first-story windows have flat arches with projecting keystones. A colonnade that features paired Ionic columns with stylized foliated motifs and unusual tassel ornamentation dominates the three central bays of the second and third stories. Small balustrades with urn-shaped members extend between the columns. Large tripartite, multi-pane, double-hung windows are located on the second story between the columns. Spandrels separate the large windows from smaller tripartite windows on the third story. A key motif and centrally placed projecting keystones top the windows. Also on the second story and flanking the colonnade are windows with elaborate semi-circular hoods featuring scrolled brackets supporting oval medallions. Decorative balustrades are located below each window. The columns support a classical entablature that consists of a molded architrave, an incised frieze with an egg-and-dart molding, and a cornice that features a dentil course. A balustrade tops the building.</p><br>
<p>The interior of the original portion contains the postal lobby. Although modified during the 1930s, the lobby remains a significant interior space. The terrazzo flooring forms a checkerboard pattern. Marble pilasters, baseboards, and wainscot and aluminum doors, grilles, and postal service windows are present. The two-story district courtroom has a low-relief plaster ceiling with a simple border. Walnut is used for the wainscoting, judge&#39;s bench, jury box, public benches, and door surrounds.</p><br>
<p>The 1938 addition, built to accommodate a district courtroom, altered the symmetry of the building. The addition uses materials and architectural details that are compatible with the original building. The first-story granite walls are also rusticated, but the second-story window hoods are less detailed than those of the original building. In 1999, a small addition on the rear of the building was constructed to accommodate holding cells and secure circulation. Construction of an 86,900 ft&sup2; annex to house new courtrooms began in 2002 and was completed in 2004 under GSA&#39;s Design Excellence Program. The entrance incorporates a striking glass-curtain wall with twenty-five images of the Great Seal of the United States screened on five-by-five foot glass panels. The remaining exterior walls are constructed of limestone and brick and rest on a granite base.</p><br>
<p>A four-story atrium links the annex with historic portions of the building. The granite wall of the 1938 addition is preserved inside the sun-lit lobby. The limestone flooring is embedded with fossils. Integrated into this space is a sculpture called River of Light by Mikyoung Kim. The artwork features layers of glass implanted with fiber optic rods that slowly change color. The sculpture evokes both the movement of the Ohio River and Wheelings industrial heritage as a glass-making center. Kims work received a 2004 Design Excellence Citation for Art in Architecture from the USA General Services Administration. View from Suspension Bridge, a painting by West Virginia artist Susan Poffenbarger located adjacent to the second-floor elevators, depicts the Ohio River as seen from the suspension bridge.</p><br>
<p>The new second-floor district courtroom overlooks the atrium lobby and contains dark cherry paneling and metal light fixtures. Other spaces include a bankruptcy courtroom, magistrate courtroom, jury assembly room, and offices. The project won Buildings magazine&#39;s new construction award in 2004.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1859 Original USA Custom House constructed</p><br>
<p>1905-1907 Building constructed</p><br>
<p>1938 First addition completed</p><br>
<p>1999 Rear extension added</p><br>
<p>2004 Award-winning annex completed</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Location: 1125 Chapline Street</p><br>
<p>Architects: Marsh & Peter with Frank Faris; George W. Petticord; HLM Design with Goody, Clancy & Associates</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1905-1907; 1937–1938; 2002–2004</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Beaux Arts Classicism</p><br>
<h2>Attribution</h2><br>
<p>The Federal Building and USA Post Office, Spokane, Washington is a historic post office, courthouse, and custom house building located at Spokane in Spokane County, Washington. It is a courthouse for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>The Federal Building and USA Post Office in Spokane, Washington, opened in October 1909. It was the first major federal building constructed in the "Inland Empire" that encompasses portions of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. The growing city of Spokane needed a larger post office and space for Federal offices. The federal government acquired the West Riverside Avenue and Lincoln Street site in 1903 for a cost of $100,000. James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect of the USA Treasury Department, designed the building in 1906 and 1907. Construction began in 1908 and was completed in 1909.</p><br>
<p>President William Howard Taft visited the building just prior to its public opening in the fall of 1909. He praised the building&#39;s "simplicity, beauty and solidity" In early October, postal workers closed the old facility at Post street and Monroe Avenue and moved records and equipment to the new building in approximately two days with only minimal interruptions to patrons.</p><br>
<p>Only four months after the post office opened, rats were discovered in the basement. To remedy the problem, seven cats were allowed to live in the building, and the postmaster received $18 annually for each cat&#39;s care and feeding. The cats lived in the post office for at least one year, although no one is sure when the rat problem was solved.</p><br>
<p>As Spokane continued to grow and postal activity expanded, city officials realized the need to enlarge the building. The site directly north of the existing building was purchased and an addition was completed in 1941. The addition was designed by Louis A. Simon, Supervising Architect of the Public Buildings Administration of the Federal Works Administration.</p><br>
<p>In 1994, a modernization effort was completed. High efficiency lighting, modern elevators, and new HVAC equipment were installed. Important interior public spaces also underwent renovation and restoration.</p><br>
<p>The Federal Building and USA Post Office was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. In 2004, the building won The Office Building of the Year Award in the historic category from the Building Owners and Managers Association Northwest Region.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The Federal Building and USA Post Office in Spokane, Washington, skillfully blends elements of two styles of architecture. Beaux Arts Classicism and Second Renaissance Revival were popular styles in the early years of the twentieth century. Both styles were often executed on monumental public buildings and feature rusticated ground floors and balustrades. The building&#39;s architect, James Knox Taylor, was a strong proponent of architecture inspired by Classical forms and ornamentation, which he believed appropriately conveyed the dignity of the federal government.</p><br>
<p>The exterior is finely detailed and proportioned. The symmetrical facade has a granite-faced basement level capped by a granite water table. The first story is clad in rusticated limestone and is dominated by arched openings. Cartouches (scrolled ovals) separate the first and second stories. The second and third stories are covered with smooth limestone and feature prominent Tuscan pilasters (attached columns) between window bays. The facade is topped with an entablature with a smooth frieze and medallions. The cornice contains a dentil course of small squares, a common feature on classical buildings. A parapet wall with a balustrade sits above the entablature.</p><br>
<p>The addition that was completed in 1941 blends harmoniously with the original 1909 building. Louis A. Simon, who designed the addition, appreciated both Modern and Colonial Revival forms of architecture. However, Simon designed the addition using Beaux Arts Classicism and Second Renaissance Revival styles to complement the existing building. Similar massing, material, and architectural details provide continuity.</p><br>
<p>The interior contains several ornate spaces. The first floor of the building contains formal public spaces such as the lobby, elevator vestibule, and main staircase. These areas have impressive proportions and finishes. Marble pilasters, floors, and wainscot; decorative plaster wall panels and coffered (recessed) ceilings; and terrazzo flooring are present.</p><br>
<p>The federal district courtroom and its lobby, which are located on the third floor, underwent renovation and restoration work in 1994. Marble floors and walls are located in the lobby, and the courtroom features rich details such as Ionic pilasters and decorative plasterwork. An oval skylight is set within an oval dome in the courtroom. Original stained oak rails, benches, and desks remain.</p><br>
<p>Offices are on the second and third floors. Wide corridors with terrazzo floors and marble baseboards separate perimeter offices from interior light courts.</p><br>
<p>In addition to the ornate spaces, the building contained a common feature in post offices of the era. The "sneak hole" was a specially constructed, enclosed gallery located above the postal workroom that allowed inspectors to secretly observe the actions of employees through strategically placed peep holes. The "sneak hole" is no longer in use today.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1903: Land at Riverside Avenue and Lincoln Street purchased for new Federal building</p><br>
<p>1909: Building completed and occupied</p><br>
<p>1941: Addition completed</p><br>
<p>1983: Building listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>1994: Renovation and restoration completed</p><br>
<p>2004: Building receives The Office Building of the Year Award</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Location: West 904 Riverside Avenue</p><br>
<p>Architects: James Knox Taylor; Louis A. Simon</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1909; 1941</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Beaux Arts Classicism and Second Renaissance Revival</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Limestone; Granite</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Monumental Facade; Ornate First-Floor Lobby; Third-Floor Courtroom with Skylight</p><br>
<p>The Federal Office Building, Seattle, Washington is a historic federal office building and courthouse located at Seattle in King County, Washington. It is the courthouse for the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>According to local tradition, the Federal Office Building in Seattle is located on the site where city founders A.A. Denny, William Bell, and C.D. Boren docked their boat after making initial surveys of Puget Sound and its harbors in 1851. On June 6, 1889, the Great Seattle fire, which destroyed more than 64 acre of the commercial district, started in a cabinet shop at the site of the Federal Office Building.</p><br>
<p>Seattle rebuilt after the fire, and in 1897 its port became the "Gateway to Alaska" for steamships bearing prospectors bound for Alaska and the Klondike Gold Rush. The citys population burgeoned, and the federal government decided to consolidate the location of its services. In 1928, Congress approved more than $2 million for site acquisition and construction. Officials selected a site bounded by Madison and Marion streets and First and Western avenues. The building was designed between 1930 and 1931 by the Office of the Supervising Architect under James A. Wetmore. One of the earliest federal buildings in the Art Deco style of architecture, the buildings design was a departure from the more traditional styles of Classical Revival and Beaux Arts Classicism and a step toward more modern architectural styles that were gaining popularity. However, the building retains conventional symmetrical massing and proportion.</p><br>
<p>Construction was completed in 1933 by the Murch Construction Company of St. Louis, Missouri. The building used substantial amounts of aluminum from smelters along the nearby Columbia River. It was the first building in Seattle designed specifically to house offices for the federal government. Among its first tenants were 52 federal agencies, the largest of which was the Department of the Treasury.</p><br>
<p>Today, the building is located among three significant historic areas: Pioneer Square, Pike Place Market, and the waterfront. The Henry M. Jackson Federal Building, located across the street, was constructed from 1975 to 1976. In 1979, the Federal Office Building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The Federal Office Building is an exuberant example of Art Deco architecture. One of the earliest Modern styles, Art Deco architecture emphasizes verticality and is heavily ornamented with stylized, geometric motifs. The facade is stepped, with the outer portions rising from six stories to nine stories, while the central tower reaches eleven stories in height. The tower is topped by a ziggurat (stepped pyramid) with a flagpole at its apex. Corner towers rise slightly above the ridgeline.</p><br>
<p>The building is constructed of a steel frame encased in concrete for additional fire protection. The design is also notable for its use of aluminum, which was installed as cast spandrel panels between windows on the third through sixth floors. The panels, which depict either insignia of various federal agencies or decorative geometric designs, were one of the earliest substantial uses of aluminum on a West Coast building.</p><br>
<p>The building rests atop a granite foundation. Smooth terracotta, which lends the appearance of stone, covers the first story and is punctuated by segmental-arch openings on the facade. The midsection is clad in light red brick and is topped by elaborate stylized ornamentation executed in pale terra cotta.</p><br>
<p>On the facade, three centrally located entrances are articulated by vertical pale terra-cotta ornamentation that includes miniature ram and lion heads. A stylized eagle motif is centrally placed above the entrance, and bronze lanterns provide light. Two five-foot-tall, cast-bronze urns, which were relocated from the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, flank the entrance. They feature stylized geometric decorations.</p><br>
<p>Often, the rear elevations of buildings are less visible and therefore less ornamented, but because the rear of the Federal Office Building faces Western Avenue, an important thoroughfare, all elevations are extensively detailed. The building&#39;s cornerstone and two plaques commemorating the Great Seattle Fire of 1889 are located near where the fire began.</p><br>
<p>Interior public spaces are heavily ornamented with Art Deco materials and motifs. Access is gained through the First Avenue entrance into a vestibule with cast-bronze moldings and bronze-and-glass doors which lead to a public lobby and the post office. The public lobby floor is covered with dark red terra-cotta tile with cross strips and baseboards of Tokeen marble from Alaska. Walls are clad in light gray Wilkinson sandstone, and a coffered ceiling tops the space. Several original bronze, reverse-pyramid light fixtures remain in the lobby. A nearby elevator lobby has four elevators with original cast-bronze doors bearing floral Art Deco motifs.</p><br>
<p>At the north end of the vestibule is the USA Post Office, which is reached through an opening flanked by stained oak pilasters (attached columns). The postal lobby, which is nearly unchanged since building construction, is one of the most significant interior spaces. Two original postal service windows are cased in stained oak with simple scroll brackets and carved lintels. The floor is covered in polished, dark red, terra-cotta tile with a coved base molding. Stained oak, tongue-in-groove wainscot reaches a height of three feet around the perimeter of the postal lobby and is capped by a stained oak rail. Above the rail, plaster walls are finished in a heavily stippled texture. Plaster cove molding tops the walls and has a fruit-and-leaf design.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1851: Seattle founders land on Federal Office Building site</p><br>
<p>1889: Seattle Fire starts at Federal Office Building site</p><br>
<p>1931-1933: Federal Office Building constructed</p><br>
<p>1975-1976: Jackson Federal Building constructed</p><br>
<p>1979: Federal Office Building listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Location: 909 First Avenue</p><br>
<p>Architect: James A. Wetmore</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1931-1933</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Art Deco</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Red Brick and Terra Cotta</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Central tower with ziggurat; Art Deco ornamentation</p><br>
<p>The Robert C. McEwen United States Custom House, also known as USA Customshouse, is a historic customshouse building located at Ogdensburg in St. Lawrence County, New York. It was built in 1809-1810 as a store and warehouse. It is a two story, utilitarian, gable roofed, stone bearing wall structure approximately 60 feet wide and 120 feet long. The Federal government purchased it in 1936 and converted it for use as a customshouse.</p><br>
<p>It is the oldest within the building inventory of the General Services Administration.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>Ogdensburg served as a regional distribution center during the early nineteenth century. Goods were brought to upper New York State via the St. Lawrence River and warehoused here, making the town a trade hub. The USA Custom House building originally served as a store and warehouse. It was known as the Parish Store and Wharf in reference to its first owner, David Parish. Parish, a German financier who immigrated to the United States in 1808, engaged master carpenter Daniel W. Church to oversee construction of the building.</p><br>
<p>In 1811, Congress established the USA Customs District of Oswegatchie (an Iroquois word meaning “at the very outlet”). According to local tradition, the Parish Store housed USA Customs Service functions by 1811 and this arrangement continued for almost sixty years. In 1870, Alfred B. Mullet, Supervising Architect of the USA Treasury, designed a new building to house the custom house and post office. Located at 431 State Street in downtown Ogdensburg, the building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and continues to function as a post office.</p><br>
<p>The George Hall Corporation, a shipping company, owned the Parish Store from 1880 to 1936. Likely due to needs for additional space, in 1928, the USA Customs Service moved back into leased space in the Parish Store. In 1936, the Hall Corporation sold the building to the USA government for $65,000. The building was renamed the USA Custom House. Over the years, the building was used for customs offices, patrol assembly, radio, record, and customs files rooms, a dormitory for immigration officers, and detention facilities. The USA Army, Air Force, and Marines also maintained offices here. Listed in the National Register in 1974, the building was renamed in honor of the late Robert C. McEwen, a USA Congressman, in 1982.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The U. S. Custom House is a fine example of the utilitarian buildings constructed in native limestone in the late 18th and early 19th centuries in the Ogdensburg region. Master carpenter Daniel W. Church supervised a group of French Canadian stonemasons who came from Montreal to work on its construction. The original building has excellent proportions (60 feet wide and 120 feet long) giving it a visual sense of lightness. While the original warehouse building began as a simple, unadorned, vernacular building, extensive modifications, undertaken in the 1930s, incorporated Colonial Revival-style elements. These consist of scaled door and window openings with elliptical arches, decorative cornice, dormers, and porch.</p><br>
<p>The building’s core massing and roof remains much the same as when constructed in 1809–1810, save for the addition of shed dormers. At the front (east) facade the USA Custom House is a three-story, side-gabled building. As the site slopes to the west, the basement is exposed on other sides. Constructed of native limestone laid as fieldstone, with quoins at each corner, the building’s load-bearing masonry walls are three feet thick in places. All masonry openings have segmental arches with voussoirs (wedge-shaped stones) of matching limestone.</p><br>
<p>After purchasing the building in 1936, the federal government modified the exterior and interior to reflect the popular Colonial Revival style of the period. Dormers and cornices supported by modillions (scroll-shaped brackets) were added. Most of the large loading doors were partially filled in with limestone and converted to paired windows. In 1958, a simple, one-story portico, similar to one constructed in 1937 and later removed, was added to the north Water Street side of the building. A small limestone addition was built at the southwest corner. These exterior modifications were done with restraint and sensitivity, leaving the character of the building largely intact, while accommodating its new use.</p><br>
<p>The building interior dates entirely from 1937, when a complete remodeling was undertaken at a cost of $125,000 to provide offices for the USA Customs Service. Vestiges of the 1809–1810 structure remain in transverse load-bearing masonry walls, the closets under the eaves of the third floor, and the original beams.</p><br>
<p>Distinctive interior features include the vestibule, lobby and information desk, center stairway, cashier’s office, and public and private collectors offices. From the main entry on the front facade, a small vestibule opens into the lobby. In the lobby are bulletin cases of glass and wood marked “Immigration” and “Customs,” and a wood building directory. A recessed area contains a wood-panel information desk with a hinged gate. In the wall behind the desk, a shallow, elaborately detailed closet was built into one of the original arches in the masonry bearing wall.</p><br>
<p>The first-floor corridor opens off the lobby and is T-shaped, with painted plaster walls and ceiling. There are original (1937) wood baseboards and chair rail with abstracted triglyph (three vertical band) design. The ceilings of the lobby have a molded plaster cornice; the corridor ceilings have a plain cornice band. At the westernmost end of the east-west corridor is a built-in, paneled wooden service counter. The counter is enclosed with a centered operable window, flanked by two fixed windows. This is the original site of the cashier’s office.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1809-1810: David Parish builds a stone store and warehouse on the waterfront</p><br>
<p>1811–1870: USA Customs Service is purported to have occupied the building</p><br>
<p>1880: George Hall Corporation purchases building</p><br>
<p>1928: USA Customs Service relocates to building</p><br>
<p>1936: USA government purchases and renovates building</p><br>
<p>1974: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>1982: Renamed the Robert C. McEwen USA Custom House</p><br>
<p>2009: Building celebrates bicentennial</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Location: 127 North Water Street</p><br>
<p>Architect: Master Carpenter Daniel W. Church</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1809–1810</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Vernacular / Colonial Revival</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Primary Material: Limestone</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Three-feet-thick limestone bearing walls; Segmental-arched windows and doors; Wood cornice with modillions</p><br>
<p>The Federal Building and Post Office is a historic main post office, courthouse, and Federal office building in Brooklyn, New York. The original building was the Brooklyn General Post Office, and is now the Downtown Brooklyn Station, and the north addition is the courthouse for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York, and is across the street from and in the jurisdiction of the main courthouse for the district, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. It also houses offices for the United States Attorney, In 2009, the United States Congress enacted legislation renaming the building the Conrad B. Duberstein United States Bankruptcy Courthouse, in honor of chief bankruptcy judge Conrad B. Duberstein.</p><br>
<h2>History</h2><br>
<p>Planning and design for the new post office began in 1885. During his three year tenure (1884–86),</p><br>
<p>Much of the original appropriation for the building was allotted for the purchase of the lot, which is bounded by Cadman Plaza East (then Washington Street), Johnson, Adams, and Tillary streets. After Bells resignation, his design was revised by his successor, William A. Freret, whose final design was a much bolder Romanesque building than Bell had envisioned. Still, some of the more elaborate architectural details of Bells original design, such as larger corner towers, were never executed in the final design.</p><br>
<p>Construction was completed in 1891; interior spaces were finished in 1892 and the building was occupied. Shortly thereafter, three passenger elevators and a mail lift were installed.</p><br>
<p>As the population continued to grow, officials determined more space was needed. Because the original building only occupied the southern half of the lot, the addition extended to the north. In 1930, the Office of the Supervising Architect under James A. Wetmore, designed a compatible addition in a similar style, which was completed in 1933. Two new courtrooms were added as part of the expansion.</p><br>
<p>The USA General Post Office was designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1966 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. In 1999 the USA General Services Administration (GSA) purchased the building and began extensive renovations that included the addition of new courtrooms and the restoration of historic courtrooms, original windows, numerous site features, and interior and exterior materials. It now houses postal services as well as the USA Bankruptcy Court, the USA Trustee, and the Offices of the USA Attorney.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The building is an excellent example of Romanesque Revival architecture and is a prominent component of the Municipal Center complex. The original portion of the building is four stories in height and the 1933 addition is seven stories tall. The exterior has remained largely unchanged over time. The lively design of the building contains many character-defining features of the Romanesque Revival style. The central structure contains strong, simple forms with powerful arches dominating the first story. Elaborate dormers, iron roof cresting, steeply pitched roofs, and a tower give the building a picturesque quality.</p><br>
<p>The exterior of the building is rich in material, texture, form, and ornament. Semi-circular projections called tourelles protrude from the building. Each level is articulated in a slightly different way and distinguished by belt courses that encircle the building. Round arches of polished granite, which feature rosettes and cable moldings, dominate the first story. The arches spring from carved posts with foliated motifs. Rectangular windows surrounded by contrasting trim are on the second floor, while round-arch openings are on the third floor. The fourth story contains steeply pitched dormers with round-arch windows. A slate-covered mansard roof is topped with ornamental ironwork cresting.</p><br>
<p>The square corner tower rises above the roofline of the original building. Arched openings with semi-circular balconies are topped by an ornate cornice surmounted by a steeply pitched pyramidal roof.</p><br>
<p>One of the most significant interior spaces is the atrium. It is located in the center of the 1892 portion of the building and extends from the second to fourth floors. The atrium is enclosed by a three-level loggia. Each level of the loggia is supported by cast-iron columns that are adorned with acanthus and anthemion leaf motifs.</p><br>
<p>The main staircase is in the northeast corner of the original building. A decorative cast-iron balustrade with lantern-style newel posts encases soapstone treads. The stairwell walls are clad in mahogany Tennessee marble wainscot, and the floors are covered with black and white marble tiles laid on the diagonal.</p><br>
<p>The walls of the 1892 courtrooms are also covered with mahogany Tennessee marble wainscot with black soap-stone bands with a marble bead. Large round-arch windows have carved wood mullions and are operated by cast-metal pulls with griffin-head motifs. One of the courtrooms contains a marble and soapstone fireplace, which has a carved leaf pattern and marble mantel. Fireplaces are also in some of the original office spaces.</p><br>
<p>Some interior spaces have been altered over time. During World War II, a skylight and laylight that originally illuminated the postal work floor were covered to comply with black-out laws implemented to protect the country from enemy bombings. In 1980, the monumental lobby of the original building was altered and most features removed. To accommodate the USA Bankruptcy Court and USA Attorneys, GSA began an extensive renovation project in 1999. A U-shaped green-glass and aluminum curtain wall was added to the 1933 portion of the building in 2003, forming an interior atrium that, along with new skylights, admits natural light. GSA also refurbished interior stone, metal, plaster, and wood finishes; restored historic windows and doors; and added three new courtrooms. On the exterior, the cast-iron roof cresting was repaired and historically appropriate street-lights were installed on the site. The design, which was completed by R.M. Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects, received a 1998 Design Award citation from GSA.</p><br>
<p>The James T. Foley United States Courthouse is a stone Art Deco federal courthouse, located on Broadway  in downtown Albany, New York, United States. Built in the 1930s, it was included in 1980 as a contributing property when the Downtown Albany Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.</p><br>
<p>The building houses courtrooms and chambers of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, offices of the districts USA Attorney, and the local offices of several federal law enforcement agencies. For 60 years after its construction it served as Albanys main post office as well. It was designed and constructed under the supervision of consulting architect Electus Darwin Litchfield and built by the Kenny Brothers Construction Company.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>In 1930, Congress allocated $3.325 million for the Secretary of the Treasury to purchase a site and construct a new federal building in Albany, New York, to house a post office, courthouse, and custom house. The following year, the government chose a location on the southeast corner of Broadway and Maiden Lane and subsequently demolished several existing buildings to prepare the site for new construction. The Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury selected the prominent local architectural firm Gander, Gander & Gander to design the building under the Public Buildings Act of 1926, which gave treasury officials the option of hiring private architects for federal projects. Norman R. Sturgis served as associate architect. Notable New York City architect Electus Darwin Litchfield, who began his career with the renowned firm of Carrère and Hastings before establishing his own practice, served as consulting architect on the project and contributed major design concepts and aesthetic refinements. The architects designed the building in the Art Deco style, which was simultaneously Modern and decorative. When discussing the building, the architects used the term "modern classical" to describe their innovative design, instructing observers to "Squint your eyes, look in perspective and note the classical proportions of the building--minus columns and entablature."</p><br>
<p>The architects completed their plans in 1931 and the following year, the government awarded the construction contract to Kenny Brothers, Inc., of New York City. Prominent officials and the public gathered for a cornerstone-laying ceremony on August 18, 1933, and construction was completed in 1934, for a cost of $3,325,000 ($1,510,000 for the site and $1,815,000 for construction). The building had an exterior bridge connecting the nearby rail station with the post office, which occupied the entire first two floors.</p><br>
<p>In 1980, the building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing building to the Downtown Albany Historic District. In 1988, it was renamed to honor Judge James Thomas Foley (1910-1990), who President Harry Truman appointed to the Northern District of New York in 1949. Foley served the federal courts for forty years, including a period as chief judge from 1963-1980 and senior judge from 1980 until his death.</p><br>
<p>The post office vacated the building in 1995. Current tenants include the USA District Northern Division of New York State, USA Bankruptcy Courts, United States Marshals Service, USA Customs and Border Protection, and the FBI.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The courthouse is an excellent example of Art Deco architecture, which incorporated sleek Modern forms while retaining ornate yet stylized decorative elements. The architects utilized high-quality materials on both the interior and exterior. The walls rest on a Bethel White granite base and are faced with Vermont Eureka marble above the water table. The building is built around two light courts that admit natural light into the interior. Vertical bands of windows with aluminum muntins emphasize the height of the five-story building. Black structural glass spandrels separate the windows on the facade.</p><br>
<p>The facade, which faces west on Broadway, contains two entrances, each topped with an eagle that is more than eight feet tall and carved from a seventeen-ton Vermont marble block by New York City sculptor Albert T. Stewart, who also received the commission for the building&#39;s frieze. Artist Benjamin Hawkins created ornate aluminum screens titled Departments of Government located behind the eagles. The screens contain stylized motifs representing the Departments of Navy, Agriculture, Labor, Army, Post Office, Commerce and Revenue, as well as images of the courts, thirteen stars representing the original colonies, and the New York state seal. A bas-relief frieze encircles the building on three elevations: the west facade contains images of postal service activities, the north elevation shows customs duties, and the south elevation illustrates the mission of the courts. To make the carvings visible to street-level viewers, Stewart created figures approximately eight feet tall and executed at a depth of nearly three inches.</p><br>
<p>Typical of the Art Deco style, the architects designed an opulent interior. Six marble types, including St. Genevieve Golden Vein, Rose, Champlain Black, Eagle Grey Tennessee, Eagle Pink Tennessee, and Verde Antique, are used on the richly appointed interior walls and floors. Ceilings are ornate plaster with medallions and stepped molding covered with aluminum leaf. Entrance vestibules lead to public lobbies with marble walls. Marble mosaic medallions are inset in the north and south lobby floors. A gilded plaster ceiling medallion of the United States Seal is centered in the lobby and framed by step moldings covered with aluminum leaf and gold stars.</p><br>
<p>Marble pilasters divide the main lobby into nine bays, each articulated with a ceiling mural. Artist Ethel M. Parsons painted the oil-on-canvas murals in 1935, depicting each of the seven continents as well as the North Pole and the United States. Interspersed with the murals are plaster plaques by Italian artist Enea Biafora Portraying famous Americans, including Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington, as portrayed on the earliest USA postage stamps. With the exception of the murals, the ceiling is covered with aluminum leaf. Four original black marble writing desks are centered in the main lobby.</p><br>
<p>Throughout the building, in both public and private spaces, intricate wood inlay designs adorn the ceiling and wall trim. Each of the five floors contains two elevator lobbies with adjacent public staircases. The stairs have treads and landings of Eagle Grey Tennessee marble with Champlain black marble risers. Cast-aluminum railings, also designed by Biafora, contain stylized motifs related to the functions of the building, including an airplane and scales of justice.</p><br>
<p>The two original courtrooms retain many original finishes and features. Both feature elaborate ornamentation on the wood walls and plaster ceilings. Courtroom No. 1, used for District Court proceedings since its construction, has Oregon maple burl paneling with exotic wood inlays and decorative aluminum grilles. The Courtroom Lobby retains original radiator grilles, bronze Art Deco light fixtures, and marble floor and walls. Two black-and-gold marble benches provide seating. Courtroom No. 2 features walnut burl veneer walls and Art Deco wall sconces.</p><br>
<p>When the post office vacated the building in 1995, much of their original workspace on the first and second floors was transformed to accommodate new uses, including renovated office space and the installation of a new courtroom.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1930 Congressional funding for new federal building allocated</p><br>
<p>1932 Construction begins</p><br>
<p>1934 Building completed</p><br>
<p>1980 Building listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of Downtown Albany Historic District</p><br>
<p>1988 Building renamed to honor Judge James Thomas Foley</p><br>
<p>1995 USA Postal Service vacates the building</p><br>
<p>The Gus J. Solomon United States Courthouse is a federal courthouse located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Completed in 1933, it previously housed the United States District Court for the District of Oregon until the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse opened in 1997. The Renaissance Revival courthouse currently is used by commercial tenants and formerly housed a USA Postal Service branch. In 1979, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places as USA Courthouse.</p><br>
<h2>Construction</h2><br>
<p>The federal courthouse was designed by Portland architect Morris H. Whitehouse between 1929 and 1931, and built by Murch Construction. Construction on the seven-story structure began in 1932, with the laying of the cornerstone occurring in August. The Solomon Courthouse contains eight courtrooms in its 117,000 ft&sup2; of space.</p><br>
<p>Architecturally, the Solomon Courthouse is Renaissance Revival on the exterior and Art Deco on the interior. On the exterior are Doric pilasters that adorn the symmetrical façade, along with classical triglyphs and metopes that alternate in the sandstone frieze. Cornices top the frieze with an egg-and-dart pattern, while a distinct Art Deco floral pattern surrounds the exterior. With an open courtyard in the middle, only the first floor covers the entire block. The building is topped with a flat roof that contains a parapet wall and with decorative gutters.</p><br>
<p>Materials used on the courthouse include bronze as accents, a light colored gray sandstone on the exterior, marble on the interior along with plaster and oak. Marbles include Pink Kasota Fleuri, Red Nebo Golden Travis, and Brown Nebo Golden Travis used in the entryway. Other details include a bas-relief sculpture honoring Oregon casualties in World War I, a large marble eagle sculpture, and white-marble sculpture called Ventana al Pacifico (1989) created by Manuel Neri.</p><br>
<p>Two courtrooms located on the sixth floor of the building demonstrate the architectural adornment of the courthouse’s interior. These spaces use marble for trim and on the faces of the courtroom clocks, contain leather covered doors, oak cornices, and coffered ceilings. Additionally, these courtrooms contain almost full-length windows, oak shutters, Corinthian columns, and bronze lamps among other details.</p><br>
<h2>Use</h2><br>
<p>After completion, the building housed both the United States District Court for the District of Oregon and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Portland duty station. The Ninth Circuit moved to the nearby Pioneer Courthouse in 1973, and the District Court left for the new Hatfield Federal Courthouse in 1997. In 1988, the courthouse was renamed in honor of judge Gus J. Solomon after he died in 1987. In 1979, the courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places Until 1984 the building also housed a post office on the first floor and in the basement. This space was then remodeled for use by the District Court. In 2004, with the remodeling of the Pioneer Courthouse and removal of the post office at that location, a postal branch was re-opened at the Solomon Courthouse. In the mid-1990s the Multnomah County Court explored the possibility of leasing the courthouse from the federal government to use in addition to the Multnomah County Courthouse, but the plans were later canceled.</p><br>
<p>Currently the courthouse is used for a variety of tasks, including new citizen swearing-in ceremonies. Other non-court uses have been as a scene for a local play, and as a setting for a courtroom scene in the Hollywood movie The Hunted. Plans called for the federal bankruptcy court of Oregon to move into the building along with the Internal Revenue Service after renovations. There have been proposals to use the building as the headquarters for a proposed Twelfth Circuit Court of Appeals to be created from a split of the Ninth Circuit.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>The oldest sections of Portland are centered west of the Willamette, and the courthouse is located in this area. Commonly referred to as the New Courthouse to distinguish it from nearby Pioneer County Courthouse (1869), the courthouse has housed such government offices as the downtown post office, the USA District Court, the USA Court of Appeals, and offices for the USA Secret Service and branches of the military.</p><br>
<p>Whitehouse, a native Portland architect, developed the plans for the courthouse from directives formulated by federal agencies, with Jules Henri de Sibour of Washington, D.C., as the consulting architect and James A. Wetmore, the Supervising Architect of the Treasury.</p><br>
<p>Ninety-two percent of all contract money available for labor and materials went to Portland and Seattle area firms, providing an economic boost to the region. In August 1932, the cornerstone was laid. Included in a metal box within the stone were five Portland daily newspapers, historic documents relating to the building, and a photograph of Whitehouse and the partners of his architectural firm. Construction proceeded smoothly, and a little more than a year later, in September 1933, the new federal courtrooms were officially opened.</p><br>
<p>In 1989, the Courthouse was given its current name to honor Gus J. Solomon, a judge who served the USA District Court for 37 years — longer than any other judge in Oregon.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The Gus J. Solomon USA Courthouse occupies an entire block, covering approximately 40,000 square feet. The massive building contains a full first floor only; the central interior space opens into a light court, giving the upper stories of the building a square plan with a hollow center. The exterior of the building is faced with a veneer of light gray Wilkeson sandstone, described as "hard in texture and impervious to water," from Washington State. Characterized in a 1933 Oregonian article as "looming, immense, and impressive," the Courthouse retains its original character.</p><br>
<p>Designed in the Renaissance Revival style, the building is a study in formalism with touches of Art Deco details. The symmetrical facade is accented with classically inspired details such as the Doric pilasters and the evenly spaced fenestration pattern. Prominent Renaissance Revival details include the rusticated entry level, multi-pane steel casement windows, and the belt course that separates the first level of the building from upper stories. A sandstone frieze with alternating classical triglyphs (groups of three vertical bands) and metopes (interstitial spaces) with Art Deco stylized floral patterns wraps the building. Topping the frieze is an egg-and-dart pattern beneath a moulded cornice. The flat roof features a parapet wall surmounted with scrolled cheneaux (ornamental gutters).</p><br>
<p>Bronze details are used throughout the Courthouse, most notably on doors, decorative grilles, flagpole bases, and handrails. Principal entrance is gained through the central doorways on the Main Street facade. A repeating star-in-circle motif surrounds the doors, and a garland pattern stretches across the lintel. Surmounting the center door is an Art Deco-inspired eagle with outstretched wings. A modern white marble figurative sculpture by artist Manuel Neri is located east of the main entrance.</p><br>
<p>Interior public spaces are richly appointed with lavish use of various types of marble. The floor of the foyer is of Brown Nebo Golden Travis marble, veined with natural gold. Surrounding trim is of Pink Kasota Fleuri and Red Nebo Golden Travis marbles. Handsome bas-relief figures memorializing Oregonians who fell in military service in World War I decorate the end walls. The foyer is topped by a plaster cornice and ceiling.</p><br>
<p>Other impressive interior spaces are the two USA District Courts on the sixth story. Brown Nebo Travis Gold marble was used for trim and clock faces. Main doors are covered in leather; walls, cornices, and desks are oak. The decorative coffered ceiling, rosettes, and wall panels are plaster. Nearly full-height windows with oak shutters are located on the exterior walls. Ornate bronze heating grilles, Corinthian columns and pilasters, and glass and bronze lamps are suitably dignified details for the courtrooms.</p><br>
<p>The post office, which occupied the basement and first floor of the site, moved to other quarters temporarily in 1984. It then closed on January 25, 2011. The original post office spaces were then renovated for use by the USA District Court. Today, the building retains its original character and many original materials and features. The Gus J. Solomon USA Courthouse was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Architect: Morris H. Whitehouse</p><br>
<p>Construction dates: 1932–1933</p><br>
<p>Landmark status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Location: 620 SW Main Street</p><br>
<p>Architectural style: Renaissance Revival</p><br>
<p>Primary materials: Steel frames, reinforced concrete, and sandstone veneer</p><br>
<p>Prominent feature: Art Deco interior</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1928: Congress allocates $500,000 for the acquisition of a site and $1,500,000 for the construction of the new Federal Courthouse.</p><br>
<p>1929-31: Morris H. Whitehouse, a local Portland architect, designs the USA Courthouse.</p><br>
<p>1949: President Truman appoints Gus J. Solomon to the USA District Court.</p><br>
<p>1979: The USA Courthouse is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.</p><br>
<p>1984: The USA Courthouse undergoes extensive renovations, and the USA Post Office relocates to another location.</p><br>
<p>1989: The USA Courthouse is renamed to honor Judge Gus J. Solomon.</p><br>
<h2>Attribution</h2><br>
<p>The Joel W. Solomon Federal Building and United States Courthouse, commonly referred to as the Solomon Building is a historic post office and courthouse located at Chattanooga, Tennessee in Hamilton County, Tennessee. The courthouse serves the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as USA Post Office. It was designed by Shreve, Lamb and Harmon and Reuben Harrison Hunt with watercolor murals by Hilton Leech.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>The Joel W. Solomon Federal Building and USA Courthouse was constructed in 1932–1933 as the USA Post Office and Courthouse. Designed jointly by Shreve, Lamb and Harmon and Reuben Harrison Hunt (1862–1937), it was Hunt&#39;s last major work, coming at the end of a career that spanned more than five decades. Hunt designed every major public building constructed in Chattanooga between 1895 and 1935. He was also the architect of local churches, hospitals, and private office buildings, as well as similar public and private buildings throughout the South.</p><br>
<p>Chattanooga&#39;s Post Office and Courthouse was built as part of an expanded federal construction program, undertaken in the 1930s under the direction of Supervising Architect Louis A. Simon. This program resulted in the construction of new post offices and courthouses throughout the United States and provided employment to many architects, engineers, artists, and construction workers. The Post Office and Courthouse cost approximately $493,000.</p><br>
<p>In 1938 the building was recognized by the American Institute of Architects as one of the 150 finest buildings constructed in the previous twenty years in the United States, and it was featured in an AIA photographic exhibit in America and Europe.</p><br>
<p>Prominent USA District Court cases have been heard in the building. In 1960 the filing of a major civil rights lawsuit, Mapp et al. vs. the City of Chattanooga Board of Education, initiated the desegregation of the citys public schools. It was also the site of Jimmy Hoffas 1964 conviction for jury tampering.</p><br>
<p>The USA Post Office and Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, as part of a thematic nomination of the most significant buildings of Reuben Harrison Hunt.</p><br>
<p>The USA General Services Administration assumed ownership of the building in 1981 and renamed it in honor of Joel "Jay" W. Solomon, a Chattanooga native and Administrator of GSA from 1977 to 1979. The main Chattanooga Post Office has relocated, but the building still houses federal courts and offices.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The Joel W. Solomon Federal Building and USA Court-house stands in the central business district of Chattanooga. Facing Georgia Avenue and across from Miller park, it occupies half a city block. The building is a notable example of the Art Moderne style as employed for government buildings in the 1930s. The form and details recall the classicism of earlier government architecture but take a stylized form here seen in sleek lines, a vertical emphasis, and plant, animal, and geometric decorative motifs. Several of the motifs, such as eagles and stars, evoke patriotic associations that are particularly appropriate for a federal building. The five-story building has a steel structure clad in white marble. Two penthouses are set on projecting towers at the northwest and southwest corners.</p><br>
<p>On the west (main) elevation, end pavilions project from the towers. These flank a 13-bay central section with 13 three-story windows groups, recessed behind marble pilasters with fluted inner panels. A banded beltcourse running between the fourth floor and the parapet features a pattern of stars and eagles carved in low relief.</p><br>
<p>The building&#39;s main entrances are set in the end pavilions. These are approached by wide steps of granite, with tiered cheek walls. Both upper cheek walls have stylized eagles carved into their corners. In each pavilion the paired and single entrance doors are surmounted by a curving window bay that rises four stories. Both are flanked by angled reveals, adorned with alternating fluted segments and foliate-motif plaques.</p><br>
<p>The rear of the building is dominated by a five-story central section, flanked by one-story pavilions built to house the post office work floors. Carved panels above the window bays feature stylized eagles and shields.</p><br>
<p>The building has elegant interior features and finishes consistent with the Art Moderne style while incorporating motifs suitable for a federal building. The entrance foyers and the lobby have their original chandeliers and marble walls and inlaid marble floors in chevron and star patterns. The lobby ceiling is bordered with bands set with stars. The entry foyer ceilings take the form of shallow domes set with a stylized star pattern. The lobby contains the original postal sales windows with ornate aluminum grilles and fittings, as well as original postal counters. Dark-veined marble staircases with ornate metal railings lead to the upper stories from the entrance foyers. "The Mail Carrier," a cast-aluminum sculpture by Leopold Scholz, was installed in the postal lobby in 1938.</p><br>
<p>The ceremonial courtroom is located on the third story. The courtroom lobby has marble walls and a terrazzo floor with an inlaid seal of justice. The courtroom is paneled in oak enhanced by decorative aluminum grilles. The judges bench is a masterpiece of cabinetry. A mural called "Allegory in Chattanooga" curves behind the judges bench. Installed in 1937, it was painted by Hilton Leech under the auspices of the Treasury Department&#39;s Section of Painting and Sculpture. The mural illustrates the history of the city through the New Deal era and includes a transmission tower symbolizing the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), headquartered in Chattanooga from its inception in 1935.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1932–33: The Federal Building and Courthouse is constructed at an approximate cost of $493,000.</p><br>
<p>1938: The building is named one of the 150 best modern buildings (built since 1918) in the United States by the American Institute of Architects.</p><br>
<p>1960: A civil rights lawsuit is filed in Federal District Court initiating a court-ordered desegregation plan for Chattanooga&#39;s public school system.</p><br>
<p>1964: In one of the courthouse&#39;s most notorious trials, Jimmy Hoffa is convicted of jury tampering.</p><br>
<p>1980: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of nomination focusing on buildings of Chattanooga architect Reuben Harrison Hunt.</p><br>
<p>1981: The USA General Services Administration acquires the building and renames it for former GSA Administrator Joel W. Solomon.</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Architect: Reuben Harrison Hunt</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1932–1933</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Location: 10th Street and Georgia Avenue</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Art Moderne</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: White marble with aluminum details</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Projecting entrance pavilions with carved eagles; courtroom mural by Hilton Leech, entitled "Allegory in Chattanooga"</p><br>
<p>The Howard M. Metzenbaum USA Courthouse is a historic courthouse and post office building located on Superior Avenue in downtown Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Its west side faces Public Square and its north side faces The Mall. It was formerly the Federal Building and USA Courthouse and also known as Old Federal Building and Post Office.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>The Howard M. Metzenbaum USA Courthouse, also known as the Federal Building and USA Courthouse, is a monumental anchor to Clevelands Civic Mall. Fronting the Mall and Public Square, it was the first building erected under Clevelands 1903 Group Plan, which illustrates the urban planning ideals of the City Beautiful movement.</p><br>
<p>New York Architect Arnold W. Brunner (1857–1925) designed this imposing building under the direction of Supervising Architect of the Treasury James Knox Taylor (1857–1929). It is one of 35 buildings constructed during Taylor&#39;s tenure (1883–1912) that were designed by independent architects commissioned by the USA Treasury Department under the Tarsney Act. The 1893 Act authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to use private architects, selected through competitions, to design Federal buildings. As a process, it manifested the growing demand for greater architectural standards for public buildings and opened the way for additional appropriations to maintain those standards.</p><br>
<p>As the first building erected under the Group Plan, the federal building was the model for later structures. The Group Plan proposed that local and federal government buildings be placed around a grand Mall. Embraced from the late 19th century into the first decades of the 20th century, the City Beautiful movement had its beginnings with the monumental planning and predominately classical architectural style of the 1893 Worlds Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Celebrated architect Daniel Burnham, who was instrumental in promoting the nationwide adoption of City Beautiful Movement principles, served as a member of the design team that produced the Group Plan. Arnold W. Brunner, working as an independent architect, and John Merven Carrère, of the prominent New York firm of Carrère and Hastings, also served on the team. The Federal Building formed one half of the Malls termination at Superior Avenue. Cleveland&#39;s Public Library (1925), forming the other half of this terminus, emulates the Federal Building in scale, mass, and general overall appearance.</p><br>
<p>The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. On May 27, 1998, the building was officially renamed in honor of USA Senator Howard Metzenbaum of Ohio.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The Howard M. Metzenbaum USA Courthouse is one of Cleveland&#39;s great monumental public buildings, skillfully illustrating the strong, classical characteristics of Beaux-Arts architecture. The five-story, granite-faced building was constructed between 1903 and 1910. The building covers the entire city block bounded by Rockwell Avenue on the north, Superior Avenue on the south, East Third Street on the east, and Public Square on the west.</p><br>
<p>Inspiration for the design of this Beaux Arts building came from the Place de la Concorde in Paris as well as the work of French architect and theorist Francois Blondel. The resulting design presents a rusticated first floor and 42 ft Corinthian order columns and pilasters on each elevation. These massive columns and pilasters define the sequence of window bays on the second, third, and fourth stories. Rusticated stone-arched windows with carved keystones adorn the first story. The more ornate second-story windows are capped with classically inspired pediments and balustraded sills. The third- and fourth-story window openings have molded surrounds and bracketed sills. Screening the fifth floor is an expansive entablature capped by a balustraded parapet that rises nine feet. A low-hipped, standing-seam copper roof crowns the building with attic dormer windows facing the interior light court. The parapets are adorned with shields and carved stone eagles at the building&#39;s corners.</p><br>
<p>The main entrance to the building is centered on the Superior Avenue facade. Granite steps lead to three rusticated stone arches once fitted with cast bronze doors and ornate bronze lanterns hang from cast bronze brackets. The original doors have been replaced.</p><br>
<p>Flanking the primary entrance are two important sculptures executed by the famed sculptor Daniel Chester French (1850–1931). "Jurisprudence" is located on the Public Square corner, while "Commerce" sits at the corner of East Third Street and Superior Avenue. "Jurisprudence" is personified by a mother figure clasping her baby while a criminal crouches in chains. "Commerce" is depicted as a female figure holding a model ship in one hand while her other arm rests on a globe representing the opportunity for world trade. At her right is "Electricity," symbolized by a female figure holding a magnet catching electrical sparks. "Steam," located to her left, is represented by a male figure grasping a wheel.</p><br>
<p>On the interior, the grand main lobby dominates the first floor as it runs east to west across the entire length of the building. The floors, walls, and vaulted ceiling of the lobby are surfaced with marble. Original chandeliers illuminate the space. The postal service windows are located along the lobby&#39;s north wall. Marble stairs wrap around three sides of the elevator shafts, located at the east and west ends of the public lobby. Cast-bronze, spread-wing eagles standing on globes appear over each pair of elevator doors. Corner offices in the upper floors are adorned with impressive murals depicting significant events in the history of Cleveland. Among the magnificent artworks are "City of Cleveland Welcomes the Arts" by Will Hicok Low (1853–1932), and the "Battle of Lake Erie" by Rufus Fairchild Zogbaum (1849–1925). Murals in the ceremonial courtrooms on the third floor are "The Common Law" by Henry Siddons Mowbray (1858–1928), and "The Law" by Edwin Howland Blashfield (1848–1936).</p><br>
<p>A major renovation project to restore public spaces and modernize the mechanical systems was initiated in 2002. Although the primary activities of the USA District Court system have moved to the new Carl B. Stokes Federal Court House Building a few blocks west, the ceremonial courtrooms in the Metzenbaum Courthouse will continue to be used for public hearings and proceedings. New client agencies moving into the renovated building will include the USA Bankruptcy Court, the Office of the USA Trustee, and the USA Marshals Service.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1893: Passage of the Tarsney Act permits the Federal Government to hire private architects through competitions.</p><br>
<p>1902: The 1858 federal building is demolished to allow for the construction of a new USA Post Office, Custom House, and Courthouse building.</p><br>
<p>1903: The Cleveland Group Plan is presented; construction of the new federal building begins under direction of New York architect Arnold W. Brunner.</p><br>
<p>1905: May 20, 1905 - cornerstone is laid</p><br>
<p>1910: Construction is completed.</p><br>
<p>1911: Building is dedicated</p><br>
<p>1934: The main USA Post Office moves out of the building.</p><br>
<p>1939: Building is cleaned</p><br>
<p>1950: The USA General Services Administration initiates alterations and construction of additional courtrooms.</p><br>
<p>1966: Air conditioning is installed, building is cleaned</p><br>
<p>1974: The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.</p><br>
<p>1998: The building is renamed in honor of USA Senator Howard M. Metzenbaum of Ohio.</p><br>
<p>2002: Extensive rehabilitation and modernization of the building to better serve new client agencies.</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Architect: Arnold W. Brunner</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1903-1910</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Location: 201 Superior Avenue, NE</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Beaux Arts</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Gray granite</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Exterior sculptures "Jurisprudence" and "Commerce" by Daniel Chester French; Ceremonial Courtrooms</p><br>
<p>The Jose V. Toledo Federal Building and United States Courthouse is a historic post office and courthouse located at Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is a courthouse for the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. It is also the site for oral argument before the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, when that court sits in Puerto Rico.</p><br>
<h2>Building history</h2><br>
<p>The courthouse was designed to provide suitable accommodations for important government offices and to demonstrate the commitment of the United States to the Island of Puerto Rico. From the initial settlement of San Juan, this harbor side site has been critical to the city&#39;s defense and economic development. Initially, portions of the site contained a Spanish fortification, the Bastion de San Justo del Muelle, which was built in 1639 (shortly after the city was invaded by the Dutch) and remained in place until 1897. The southern portion of the site contained a building that was likely a Spanish custom house constructed during the 1830s.</p><br>
<p>In 1898, the USA Government took possession of Puerto Rico and established a presence on the island. When the United States established a governance structure for Puerto Rico in 1900, the need for public buildings became apparent.</p><br>
<p>The structure is composed of two distinct but connected buildings. The first building of the complex was designed between 1906 and 1908 by the Office of the Supervising Architect of the Department of the Treasury, led by James Knox Taylor. Constructed between 1911 and 1914, it was the islands first significant federal building. In 1936, an addition was proposed to accommodate New Deal programs created in response to the Great Depression. Congress authorized the expansion the same year, and plans were completed by the Department of the Treasurys Public Buildings Branch under Supervising Architect Louis A. Simon in 1938. Construction of the addition was completed in 1940. It is a substantial building that was designed independently of the earlier building, although the two are physically connected on the south facade of the 1914 building.</p><br>
<p>In 1986 the building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 1999 the building was renamed for Jose Victor Toledo. Toledo (1931–1980) served as a justice and chief judge in the USA District Court, District of Puerto Rico, from 1970 until his death a decade later.</p><br>
<h2>Architecture</h2><br>
<p>The three-story, 1914 section of the courthouse displays a sophisticated and harmonious blend of the Spanish Colonial Revival style with classically inspired forms and details that reflect both the indigenous architecture of Puerto Rico and the prevalent style used on federal government buildings of the era.</p><br>
<p>The U-shaped structure sits on a foundation of concrete piers and wood piles. Constructed on a site that slopes north to south toward the harbor, it consists of a partially excavated basement, two floors with loggias, and a set-back third floor capped with a Spanish-tile roof.</p><br>
<p>The raised basement is finished with rusticated granite, while the upper floors are constructed of brick and concrete and finished in stucco. The north elevation features a centrally placed, projecting, multi-curved parapet and flanking entry portals. The loggias, hallmarks of the Spanish Colonial Revival Style, provide ventilation and shelter from the weather. The openings are segmentally arched with projecting keystones topping the openings. Classically inspired pilasters divide the openings and are skillfully combined with wrought-iron balusters that are located on the second level. Windows are covered with wrought-iron grilles. The clay tile roof with wide overhanging eaves reflects indigenous architectural influence. Supported by paired brackets and set over the building&#39;s ornamental cornice, the eaves provide relief from the hot sun and protect the building from rain.</p><br>
<p>The 1940 building connects with the earlier building on the south elevation. It covers the buildings original grand terraced harbor side entrance and most of its main facade. The simple Streamline Moderne-Art Moderne tower is characteristic of much government architecture of the late 1930s. It contains minimal decorative detailing, but its massing contributes strongly to the buildings visual prominence. Rectangular in plan and six stories in height, the 1940 building is constructed of cast-in-place, reinforced concrete. Two towers capped with handsome, four-ton, bronze lanterns, flank the building and extend above the six-story main edifice.</p><br>
<p>Significant interior spaces of the Jose V. Toledo Federal Building and USA Courthouse include, in the 1914 building, a marble-trimmed entrance lobby with a Spanish-inspired white marble imperial staircase, and public corridors of salt-glazed brick with cast-iron ventilator grilles designed to keep the building comfortable in the tropical Puerto Rican climate. The 1940 addition includes a fifth-floor ceremonial courtroom with decorative tile wainscoting and a diamond-pattern cornice. Original 1940s furnishings have been recreated.</p><br>
<p>In 1996 the USA General Services Administration (GSA) commenced a meticulous restoration following the recovery of approximately 16,000 artifacts that were discovered during preliminary archaeological work on the site. The exterior was restored to its 1940 appearance. Historically significant areas were identified for restoration or replacement. The second-story loggia, closed in the late 1940s or early 1950s, was reopened. The six-foot eaves, removed in 1958, were reconstructed. Original ceremonial spaces were restored. The building was reinforced to withstand earthquakes. Wherever possible, original architectural materials were reused rather than replaced, preserving the integrity of the building.</p><br>
<p>In March 2000 the Society for History in the Federal Government awarded the John Wesley Powell Prize for Excellence in Historic Preservation to GSA for the rehabilitation and restoration work conducted at the building. In 2002 the project received two awards: the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Chairmans Award for outstanding federal preservation achievement, and the American Institute of Architects New England Charters Honor Award.</p><br>
<p>In 2009, GSA began remodeling of the postal spaces for the bankruptcy court support activities and judges chambers, using the architectural firm Perkins Eastman of Pittsburgh and the construction firm Fe-Ri Construction of San Juan.</p><br>
<h2>Significant events</h2><br>
<p>1900: USA establishes a formal government presence on Puerto Rico and realizes the need for government buildings.</p><br>
<p>1911-1914: Construction of the USA Post Office and Courthouse occurs.</p><br>
<p>1938-1940: A major addition is constructed.</p><br>
<p>1940s-1960s: Various renovations occur.</p><br>
<p>1986: The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.</p><br>
<p>1996: Restoration work commences.</p><br>
<p>1999: The building is renamed the Jose V. Toledo USA Post Office and Courthouse.</p><br>
<p>2000: The restoration project earns the John Wesley Powell Prize for Excellence in Historic Preservation from the Society for History in the Federal Government.</p><br>
<p>2002: Restoration earns Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Chairmans Award and American Institute of Architects New England Chapters Honor Award.</p><br>
<h2>Building facts</h2><br>
<p>Architects: James Knox Taylor / Louis A. Simon, both Supervising Architects of the Treasury Department</p><br>
<p>Major Restoration Architects & Retrofit: Finegold Alexander Associates</p><br>
<p>Construction Dates: 1911-1914; 1938–1940</p><br>
<p>Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places</p><br>
<p>Location: The block bounded by Calle Recinto Sur, Calle Tanca, Calle Commercio, and Calle San Justo</p><br>
<p>Architectural Style: Spanish Colonial Revival style with classical form and details; Art Moderne</p><br>
<p>Primary Materials: Brick and concrete covered with stucco; cast-in-place concrete</p><br>
<p>Prominent Features: Twin towers topped by bronze lanterns; two-story wraparound loggia; two-tiered overhang</p><br>
