United States Post Office, Court House, and Custom House (Louisville, Kentucky, 1893)
United States Post Office, Court House, and Custom House | |
---|---|
General information | |
Coordinates | 38°15′00″N 85°45′29″W / 38.25°N 85.758°W |
Opened | 1893 |
Closed | 1932 |
Demolished | 1943 |
The United States Post Office, Court House, and Custom House was a U.S. federal building in
History
In the 1880s it was determined that the city had outgrown the 1853 custom-house. In 1883, the U.S. government paid US$110,000 (equivalent to $3,597,000 in 2023) for the land.[1] Construction of the new federal building went fairly slowly, with the cornerstone laid on October 3, 1886,[2] and full occupancy not until October 1893.[3] The post office moved 70 letter carriers and 130 clerks into the building in April 1892,[4] and the building was complete "except for the elevators" in June 1893.[5] The total area of the building was 3,115,235 ft3, and the total cost was US$110,084.92 (equivalent to $3,733,102 in 2023).[1]
The exterior was constructed of
The post office was located on the first floor, the courtrooms and law-enforcement offices on the second, and the third and fourth floors were occupied by offices of various federal bureaus and agencies, including the
In 1931, as part of the federal government's New Deal response to the Great Depression, Congress allocated almost $3 million for a new federal building in Louisville.[9] Construction was completed well ahead of schedule, and the Post Office moved into its new quarters in November 1932, followed rapidly by other federal agencies and the courts.[10] The clock was wound for the last time and stopped keeping time in December 1932.[7]
The old federal building languished as a derelict eyesore occupied only by
Gallery
See also
References
- ^ a b c d United States Department of the Treasury; Hills, W. H.; Sutherland, J. A. (1901). A History of Public Buildings Under the Control of the Treasury Department: (Exclusive of Marine Hospitals and Quarantine Stations). U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 196–197. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b "Shop Talk". The Courier-Journal. August 29, 1943. p. 51. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
- ^ "The New Custom-House". The Courier-Journal. September 14, 1892. p. 6. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ "Its Grandeur Gone". The Courier-Journal. April 24, 1892. p. 9. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ "Custom-House Elevators". The Courier-Journal. June 14, 1892. p. 6. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ a b "Custom-House Matters: Progress of the Work on the New Federal Building". The Courier-Journal. January 17, 1891. p. 9. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ a b c "Clock on Old Federal Building Moving Toward Permanent Stop". The Courier-Journal. November 30, 1932. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-01-14. & "Old Federal Building Clock to Stop Soon". The Courier-Journal. November 30, 1932. p. 2. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
- ^ "Louisville Station History" (PDF). weather.gov.
- ^ "State Projects OK'd in House". The Courier-Journal. February 20, 1931. p. 12. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
- ^ "Post Office Moves Nov. 12". The Courier-Journal. October 20, 1932. p. 7. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
- ^ "Old Post Office Here to be Torn Down". The Courier-Journal. May 16, 1942. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
- ^ "Need for Speed in Razing Old Postoffice Stressed". The Courier-Journal. June 5, 1942. p. 33. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
- ^ "Buyers Eager to Get Post Office Columns". The Courier-Journal. April 30, 1943. p. 21. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
- ^ "City to Clean Post Office Site". The Courier-Journal. October 13, 1943. p. 13. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ "Post Office Box Holds Cider and Old Papers". The Courier-Journal. August 18, 1943. p. 13. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
- ^ "The Crab Apple Cider Mystery". The Courier-Journal. August 19, 1943. p. 6. Retrieved 2024-01-14.