Lewis F. Powell Jr. United States Courthouse

Last updated
U.S. Post Office and Customhouse
Richmond Federal Appeals Court and skyline VA1.jpg
Lewis F. Powell Jr. U.S. Courthouse in 2015
USA Virginia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location1000 E. Main St., Richmond, Virginia
Coordinates 37°32′15″N77°26′6″W / 37.53750°N 77.43500°W / 37.53750; -77.43500
Area1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1858
Architect Ammi B. Young (original central building), Albert Lybrock (expansion)
Architectural styleItalianate
Part ofMain Street Banking Historic District [1] (ID05000527)
NRHP reference No. 69000359 [2]
VLR No.127-0170
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJune 4, 1969
Designated CPJune 01, 2005 [2]
Designated VLRNovember 5, 1968 [3]

The Lewis F. Powell Jr. United States Courthouse, also known as the U.S. Post Office and Customhouse, is a historic custom house, post office and courthouse located in Richmond, Virginia. Originally constructed in 1858, it was for decades a courthouse for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. A new federal district courthouse opened in 2008, but the Powell Courthouse still houses the Fourth Circuit. The United States Congress renamed the building for Supreme Court justice Lewis F. Powell Jr., in 1993. [4] It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as U.S. Post Office and Customhouse. [2]

Contents

Building history

Courthouse Additions 1858-present Lewis F. Powell, Jr., United States Courthouse, 1858-1935 Drawing.TIF
Courthouse Additions 1858-present
Richmond Customhouse,1856 Richmond Customhouse,1856.jpg
Richmond Customhouse,1856
U. S. Customhouse, Richmond, VA 1900 U. S. Customhouse, Richmond, VA 1900.jpg
U. S. Customhouse, Richmond, VA 1900
U. S. Post Office and Courthouse 1912 U. S. Post Office and Courthouse 1912.jpg
U. S. Post Office and Courthouse 1912
Lewis F. Powell Jr. United States Courthouse, first floor Post Office lobby 1972 Lewis F. Powell, Jr., United States Courthouse, first floor Post Ofice lobby 1972.jpg
Lewis F. Powell Jr. United States Courthouse, first floor Post Office lobby 1972

The courthouse is one of only two buildings in the historic core of Richmond to survive the devastating 1865 fire that marked the evacuation of the Confederate Army during the last days of the Civil War. It is the oldest courthouse in GSA's inventory. Constructed as the U.S. Custom House, Post Office and Courthouse, the original portion of the building was completed in 1858 to designs of Ammi B. Young, then Supervising Architect of the U.S. Treasury Department. The building received additions that were completed in 1889, 1912, and 1932, all three of which hewed closely to the imposing Italianate forms that characterized the original building. [5]

The building played a significant role in the American Civil War when the Congress of the new Confederate States of America selected Richmond as its capital. The courthouse provided offices for Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Following the conflict, the federal government reoccupied the building. Then, in 1866, the Grand Jury of the United States District Court met on the third floor and indicted Davis for treason. Davis returned to the courthouse in 1867 for a hearing, but was granted amnesty and never stood trial. [5]

Pressure to enlarge the courthouse began in the first decade of the 20th century, when the antitrust policies of President Theodore Roosevelt and associated legislation created an expansion of judicial oversight. In 1910, construction began on a massive expansion of the courthouse, which increased the size of the original building twelve-fold. Matching wings on the east and west were constructed between 1910 and 1932. An Art Deco Annex was constructed in 1935–36 adjacent to the courthouse. [5]

In 1993, by which time the building housed only judicial functions, President Bill Clinton dedicated the building as the Lewis F. Powell Jr. United States Courthouse in honor of the retired Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Lewis F. Powell Jr., a native Virginian. [5]

Architecture

Custom house following the Evacuation Fire of 1865. Custom House, Richmond, Va - NARA - 525082.tif
Custom house following the Evacuation Fire of 1865.

The building is an impressive example of the Italianate architecture that became popular in this country during the third quarter of the 19th century. Originally sited in the middle of the block between Tenth and Eleventh Streets, the two primary facades of the courthouse faced Main and Bank streets. Constructed between 1855 and 1858, the original block of the courthouse was designed by Supervising Architect of the U.S. Treasury Department Ammi B. Young. Five round arches formed an arcade marking the entrance on Main Street, and a heavy granite portico of three arches, reached by three granite steps, fronted the Bank Street entrance, which was set back from the property line. The three-story exterior of the courthouse was clad in ashlar granite on the first floor and ashlar limestone on the second and third floors. The remaining elements of the original construction can still be seen on the lower levels of the Bank and Main street facades, including the Main Street arcade and the Bank Street portico. [5]

The Courthouse exhibits an early use of iron as a structural material in a federal building. As noted in a letter from Secretary of the Treasury James Guthrie, the use of "wrought iron beams and girders" in federal building construction at that time was "wholly new." The structural system employed groin vaults to support upper floors, with cast-iron columns supporting beams and girders. [5]

U.S. Custom House & Post Office, 1887-89 Main Street View U.S Custom House & Post Office, Richmond, VA, 1887-89 Renovation, Main Street Front.jpg
U.S. Custom House & Post Office, 1887-89 Main Street View

The 1887–89 additions to the building, completed under the direction of Supervising Architect Mifflin E. Bell, consisted of one-by-one-bay wings attached to each of the building's corners, giving the courthouse an I-shaped plan. The Bank Street facade, including its portico, was moved forward to the property line, and a classical pediment added to the Main Street entrance. [5]

Federal courts expanded the range of their oversight at the beginning of the twentieth century, requiring an expansion of court facilities. The Richmond courthouse was enlarged in 1910–12 and 1930–32, expanding to fill the entire city block. Once again the designs emanated from the Office of the Supervising Architect under James Knox Taylor for the earlier addition, and under James A. Wetmore for the latter. The enlargement called for demolition of the courthouse interiors, the addition of a fourth floor and expansion to Tenth and Eleventh streets. While maintaining the general features of the original design, stylistic changes evolved in the additions: the cornice was extended along Bank and Main streets with restrained classical motifs to encompass the new wings, and the Italianate windows were replaced with windows featuring semicircular transoms. So precisely was the work carried out that today it is nearly impossible to distinguish between the four phases of construction. [5]

The courthouse was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. [2] By 1991, the U.S. Postal Service had vacated the building and only judicial functions remained. The courts undertook a master plan for the renovation and preservation of some of the most significant spaces within the original building, hoping to restore the finishes to their 1858 appearance. The first phase of the work, which took place in 1996–99, included the restoration of a part of the Greek Revival Main Street Lobby and office space on the third floor. [5]

Significant events

The courthouse from Bank Street at the foot of the Virginia Capitol grounds Richmond Federal Appeals Court and skyline VA2.jpg
The courthouse from Bank Street at the foot of the Virginia Capitol grounds

Building facts

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ammi B. Young</span> American architect (1791–1874)

Ammi Burnham Young was a 19th-century American architect whose commissions transitioned from the Greek Revival to the Neo-Renaissance styles. His design of the second Vermont State House brought him fame and success, which eventually led him to become the first Supervising Architect of the U.S. Treasury Department. As federal architect, he was responsible for creating across the United States numerous custom houses, post offices, courthouses and hospitals, many of which are today on the National Register. His traditional architectural forms lent a sense of grandeur and permanence to the new country's institutions and communities. Young pioneered the use of iron in construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Virginia Independence Hall</span> United States historic place

West Virginia Independence Hall is a historic government building at 1528 Market Street in downtown Wheeling, West Virginia, United States. It was built in 1860 under the supervision of architect Ammi B. Young for the federal government as a custom house, post office and courthouse. It is architecturally significant for its innovative uses of wrought iron as a framing material, and is historically significant for its role in the American Civil War. It housed the Wheeling Convention (1861), as well as the West Virginia Constitutional Convention (1863), which resulted in the separation of Unionist West Virginia from Confederate Virginia. This made it the only state to secede from a Confederate state during the war. The building was originally built as the custom house for the Western District of Virginia, and later became the center of government for the Restored Government of Virginia from 1861 to 1863, with Francis H. Pierpont serving as its governor. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1988. The building is now a state-run museum, housing exhibits on West Virginia history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pittsylvania County Courthouse</span> United States historic place

The Pittsylvania County Courthouse is located at 1 North Main Street in downtown Chatham, Virginia, USA. Built in 1853, this Greek Revival building was Pittsylvania County's third courthouse. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987, because it was the scene of events leading to Ex parte Virginia, a United States Supreme Court case extending the Equal Protection Clause to state actions such as jury selection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warsaw Courthouse Square Historic District</span> Historic district in Indiana, United States

The Warsaw Courthouse Square Historic District is a historic district in Warsaw, Indiana that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Its boundaries were increased in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacob Weinberger United States Courthouse</span> United States historic place

The Jacob Weinberger U.S. Courthouse is a historic courthouse building located in San Diego, California. It is a courthouse for the United States bankruptcy court for the Southern District of California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spring Street Courthouse</span> United States historic place

The Spring Street Courthouse, formerly the United States Court House in Downtown Los Angeles, is a Moderne style building that originally served as both a post office and a courthouse. The building was designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood and Louis A. Simon, and construction was completed in 1940. It formerly housed federal courts but is now used by Los Angeles Superior Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard C. Lee United States Courthouse</span> United States historic place

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santiago E. Campos United States Courthouse</span> United States historic place

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard M. Metzenbaum United States Courthouse</span> United States historic place

The Howard M. Metzenbaum U.S. 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 U.S. Courthouse and also known as Old Federal Building and Post Office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Customs House and Court House (Galveston, Texas)</span> United States historic place

The United States Customs House and Court House, also known as Old Galveston Customhouse, in Galveston, Texas, is a former home of custom house, post office, and court facilities for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, and later for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Completed in 1861, the structure is now leased by the General Services Administration to the Galveston Historical Foundation. The courthouse function was replaced in 1937 by the Galveston United States Post Office and Courthouse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owen B. Pickett United States Custom House</span> United States historic place

The Owen B. Pickett U.S. Custom House is a historic custom house building located at Norfolk, Virginia

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Byron White United States Courthouse</span> United States historic place

The Byron White United States Courthouse is a courthouse in Denver, Colorado, currently the seat of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. It formerly housed courthouses of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. Completed between 1910 and 1916, the building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, as U.S. Post Office and Federal Building. In 1994, it was renamed in honor of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Byron White (1917–2002) a native of Fort Collins, Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valparaiso Downtown Commercial District</span> Historic district in Indiana, United States

Valparaiso has retained an active downtown. It remains a mix of government, retail and business center, with a mixed residential and service area. Numerous economic changes have not changed the basic character, historic courthouse area. The historic district retains the distinctive turn-of-the-19th-century architecture, supporting numerous small specialty shops, shaded sidewalks, and a people friendly environment. The Downtown District, is anchored on the Porter County Courthouse. It includes 14-blocks surrounding the square, bounded on the north by Jefferson Street, on the east by Morgan Street, on the south by Monroe Street, and on the west by Napoleon Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Customhouse and Post Office (Washington, D.C.)</span> United States historic place

The Customhouse and Post Office in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., was completed in 1858 in a Renaissance Revival–Italian Palace style. Construction cost was $55,468. The first floor was occupied by a branch post office and the second floor by the Customs Service. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. It was already included as a contributing building within the Georgetown Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Customhouse and Post Office (Bath, Maine)</span> United States historic place

The U.S. Customhouse and Post Office is a historic commercial building at 1 Front Street in downtown Bath, Maine. Built by the federal government in 1858, it is a fine example of Italianate architecture designed by Ammi B. Young, housing the local post office and customs facilities until 1970. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. It now houses businesses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annefield (Saxe, Virginia)</span> Historic house in Virginia, United States

Annefield is a historic plantation house located at Saxe, Charlotte County, Virginia. It was constructed in 1858, and is a well-preserved example of the Italianate style villas being constructed during the antebellum period in northern North Carolina and Southern Virginia by master builder Jacob W. Holt (1811–1880). Annefield is one of only two known plantation houses in Charlotte County attributed to Holt, a Virginia-born carpenter, builder, and contractor who moved to Warrenton, North Carolina, and established one of North Carolina's largest antebellum building firms. Architectural historian Catherine W. Bishir notes: “Drawing upon popular architectural books, Holt developed a distinctive style that encompassed Greek Revival and Italianate features adapted to local preferences and the capabilities of his workshop. In addition to the more than twenty buildings documented as his work, stylistic evidence and family traditions also attribute as many as seventy more to Holt and his shop.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Archibald Campbell United States Courthouse</span> United States historic place

The John Archibald Campbell United States Courthouse, also known as the United States Court House and Custom House, is a historic courthouse and former custom house in Mobile, Alabama. It was completed in 1935. An addition to the west was completed in 1940. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 8, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petersburg City Hall</span> United States historic place

Petersburg City Hall is a historic city hall building located at Petersburg, Virginia. It was designed by architect Ammi B. Young and built between 1856 and 1859, as the U.S. Customs House and Post Office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madison County Courthouse (Kentucky)</span> United States historic place

The Madison County Courthouse is a historic courthouse in Richmond, Kentucky, United States, which serves as the seat of government for Madison County. It is a Greek Revival structure originally built in 1849-1850 by John McMurtry according to the designs of Thomas Lewinski, the two of whom were some of the most prominent architects in central Kentucky during the nineteenth century. It has been expanded and remodeled several times since, most recently in 1965. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rutland Courthouse Historic District</span> Historic district in Vermont, United States

The Rutland Courthouse Historic District encompasses an architecturally cohesive area of civic and residential buildings in Rutland, Vermont. Roughly bounded by Court, Washington, South Main, and West Streets, the district was principally developed between 1850 and 1875, and includes a number of prominent municipal and county buildings, including the Rutland County courthouse, the Rutland Free Library, and the Grace Congregational United Church. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

References

  1. "Main Street Banking Historic District National Register Nomination" (PDF). Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  3. "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  4. H.R.1513 -- To designate the United States courthouse located at 10th and Main Streets in Richmond, Virginia, as the 'Lewis F. Powell Jr. United States Courthouse' [ permanent dead link ].
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "GSA - Find a Building". Lewis F. Powell Jr. U.S. Courthouse, Richmond, VA : Building Overview. U.S. General Services Administration. 2009-08-24.

Attribution