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United States Customhouse and Post Office (St. Louis, Missouri)
Encyclopedia
The U.S. Custom House and Post Office is a court house in St. Louis, Missouri
.
It was designed by architect
s Alfred B. Mullett
, William Appleton Potter
, and James G. Hill
, and was constructed between 1873 and 1884. Located at the intersection of Eighth and Olive Streets, it is one of three surviving Federal office buildings designed by Mullett. The others are the Old Executive Office Building
in Washington, D.C.
, and the Century Post Office in Raleigh, N.C. It is in the Second Empire architectural style popular in the post Civil-War era. Mullett's other Second Empire buildings in Boston
, Cincinnati, New York City
and Philadelphia have been demolished.
High ceilings predominate in the main structure, with first floor ceilings at 26 feet (7.9 m) and second and third floors at 22 feet (6.7 m). Interior structure is a mixture of wrought
and cast iron
, supporting arched brick floors in a system that was referred to at the time of construction as "fireproof." The building's windows were provided with fireproof shutters.
The principal facade is the southern, along Olive Street, which features an iron mansard dome. Each street elevation features a central pavilion which in turn bears a portico. The Olive Street elevation's pediment is ornamented by the 1877 sculpture "America at War and America at Peace" by Daniel Chester French
, his first major commission. Double-hung windows are set in cast iron frames throughout the building. Cast iron trim and molding frames interior sides of windows and doors. Interior detailing was extensive, with art glass panels, mosaic tile floors and bronze door knobs imprinted with the Seal of the United States. Thirty offices on the second, third and fourth floors featured red Bologna marble fireplace mantels.
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
met at this courthouse until 1935, and the U.S. Circuit Court that district met here until that court was abolished in 1912. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit met here from 1891 until 1935. It was transferred from the U.S. General Services Administration
to the State of Missouri in 2004 through the Federal Historic Surplus Property Program in September 2004. It is currently a mixed-use facility serving federal and private purposes like hosting the downtown campus for Webster University
.
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
It was designed by architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
s Alfred B. Mullett
Alfred B. Mullett
Alfred Bult Mullett was an American architect who served from 1866 to 1874 as Supervising Architect, head of the agency of the United States Treasury Department that designed federal government buildings...
, William Appleton Potter
William Appleton Potter
William Appleton Potter was an American architect who designed numerous buildings for Princeton University, as well as municipal offices and churches. He served as a Supervising Architect of the Treasury from 1874 to 1877....
, and James G. Hill
James G. Hill
James G. Hill was an American architect who, during the period 1876 to 1883, headed the Office of the Supervising Architect of the United States Department of the Treasury, which oversaw major Federal buildings....
, and was constructed between 1873 and 1884. Located at the intersection of Eighth and Olive Streets, it is one of three surviving Federal office buildings designed by Mullett. The others are the Old Executive Office Building
Old Executive Office Building
The Eisenhower Executive Office Building , formerly known as the Old Executive Office Building and as the State, War, and Navy Building, is an office building in Washington, D.C., just west of the White House...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and the Century Post Office in Raleigh, N.C. It is in the Second Empire architectural style popular in the post Civil-War era. Mullett's other Second Empire buildings in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Cincinnati, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Philadelphia have been demolished.
Description
The three-story monumental granite building is 234 feet (71.3 m) long and 179 feet (54.6 m) deep. It includes a basement, sub-basement and attic level, with 16 feet (4.9 m) ceilings at the basement levels and 10 feet (3 m) thick foundation walls, which are surrounded by a 25 feet (7.6 m) deep dry moat for light and ventilation. The basement connects to a tunnel under 8th Street that was used for the delivery of mail to the post office. The basement material is red Missouri granite, while the upper floors are gray granite from Hurricane Island, Maine, between 3 foot (0.9144 m) and 4 feet (1.2 m) in thickness. The building surrounds a skylit inner courtyard, 48 feet (14.6 m) by 55 feet (16.8 m).High ceilings predominate in the main structure, with first floor ceilings at 26 feet (7.9 m) and second and third floors at 22 feet (6.7 m). Interior structure is a mixture of wrought
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
and cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
, supporting arched brick floors in a system that was referred to at the time of construction as "fireproof." The building's windows were provided with fireproof shutters.
The principal facade is the southern, along Olive Street, which features an iron mansard dome. Each street elevation features a central pavilion which in turn bears a portico. The Olive Street elevation's pediment is ornamented by the 1877 sculpture "America at War and America at Peace" by Daniel Chester French
Daniel Chester French
Daniel Chester French was an American sculptor. His best-known work is the sculpture of a seated Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.-Life and career:...
, his first major commission. Double-hung windows are set in cast iron frames throughout the building. Cast iron trim and molding frames interior sides of windows and doors. Interior detailing was extensive, with art glass panels, mosaic tile floors and bronze door knobs imprinted with the Seal of the United States. Thirty offices on the second, third and fourth floors featured red Bologna marble fireplace mantels.
History
The Customhouse and Post Office was constructed under the supervision pf architect James G, Hill and construction superintendent Thomas Walsh, for a total cost of $5,686,854.68. The third floor of building was occupied by the U.S District Court until 1935, when it moved to new quarters at 12th and Market streets. The Post Office remained until 1970, occupying the main basement and the first floor. A number of Federal agencies were housed on the fourth floor.The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri is a trial level federal district court based in St. Louis, Missouri, with jurisdiction over fifty counties in the eastern half of Missouri. The court is one of ninety-four district-level courts which make up the first tier of...
met at this courthouse until 1935, and the U.S. Circuit Court that district met here until that court was abolished in 1912. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit met here from 1891 until 1935. It was transferred from the U.S. General Services Administration
General Services Administration
The General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S...
to the State of Missouri in 2004 through the Federal Historic Surplus Property Program in September 2004. It is currently a mixed-use facility serving federal and private purposes like hosting the downtown campus for Webster University
Webster University
Webster University is an American non-profit private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Webster University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools...
.
External links
- Post Office & Customs House, Ninth & Locust, Eighth & Olive Streets, Saint Louis, St. Louis City County, MO: 13 photos, 9 data pages, 1 photo caption page, at Historic American Building Survey
- Photographs of the Customhouse and Post Office, St. Louis at the National Park Service's NRHP database