Postal Square Building
| Postal Square Building | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°53′52.8″N 77°0′29.9″W / 38.898000°N 77.008306°W |
| Current tenants | Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Postal Museum |
| Construction started | 1911 |
| Completed | 1914 |
| Renovated | 1929–1935 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Daniel Burnham |
The Postal Square Building (formerly the City Post Office) served as the main
Union Station.[1] Construction for the Postal Square Building began in 1911 on a lot near the Capitol. Planning began with a 1901 proposal by the Senate Parks Commission. The commission called for three buildings to mark the northern end of the Capitol complex. While the first two buildings in the plan, Union Station and the Postal Square Building, were completed early in the 20th century, the 1901 plan would not be fully implemented until the completion of the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building
in 1992.
A major renovation from 1929 to 1935 expanded the building for increased mail processing and service capacity.[2] By the 1950s, renovations had removed many of the Beaux-Arts features of the building. The main hall and lobby area only showed traces of their former grandiose design with modernist elements replacing the Beaux-Arts style.
The building received another major renovation in the early 1990s, during which the original appearance of the lobby and main hall area was restored. The
Covid-19
pandemic.
Gallery
-
Southwest entrance lobby in 1989 showing some elements of the original design such as the columns and modified coffering -
The main hall and lobby area before the restoration; The ceiling has been lowered, and the hall narrowed. -
Postal Square Building (left) from Columbus Circle with Union Station to the right
See also
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Postal Square Building.
- ^ "1-Hour Itinerary". postalmuseum.si.edu. Archived from the original on 2017-07-04. Retrieved 2017-03-02.
- ^ "Bronze Torcheries Conservation – Postal Square Building". conservationsolutionsinc.com. Retrieved 2017-03-02.
- ^ "History of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum". postalmuseum.si.edu. Retrieved 2017-03-02.
- ^ "BLS Building Photos". U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2017-03-02.