Lubbock Post Office and Federal Building

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Lubbock Post Office and Federal Building
Lubbock Texas Old Federal Courthouse.jpg
Lubbock Post Office and Federal Building in 2012
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Lubbock Post Office and Federal Building
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Lubbock Post Office and Federal Building
Location800 Broadway, Lubbock, Texas
Coordinates 33°35′6″N101°50′35″W / 33.58500°N 101.84306°W / 33.58500; -101.84306 Coordinates: 33°35′6″N101°50′35″W / 33.58500°N 101.84306°W / 33.58500; -101.84306
Arealess than one acre
Built1931 (1931)
Built byWilliam McDonald Construction Co.
ArchitectJames A. Wetmore
Architectural style Classical Revival
NRHP reference No. 95000101 [1]
Added to NRHPFebruary 17, 1995

The Lubbock Post Office and Federal Building, located at 800 Broadway in downtown Lubbock, Texas, was a post office and federal courthouse from 1932 to 1968. [2]

Contents

History

Federal funds were obtained through the Public Buildings Act of 1926 to construct a new federal courthouse in Lubbock, Texas. Construction began in 1931 and the building was completed in 1932 at a cost of $4.7 million. The United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas met here until 1968, after which time it was used by Lubbock County for offices and storage. [2] A lack of proper building maintenance led to its abandonment in 1998. [3]

The building was nominated and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. [4] In 2011, Preservation Texas, a nonprofit preservation group, listed it as one of the most endangered historic sites in Texas. [4]

In 2013, Lubbock's Commissioners Court put the building up for sale and Appaloosa Development of Lubbock offered $500,000 but then backed out of the deal. [5] More recently John Thompson (Austin) and Jeff Sagansky (New York) of Elm Tree Partners and John Snyder (Oklahoma) have offered $425,000 for the 28,000 sq ft (2,600 m2) building. [6] The offer was accepted by Lubbock County Commissioners and plans are to convert the building to apartment or hotel rooms, dining, or office space. [6]

Architectural description

The 3-story building was designed in the late Classical Revival style, which can be seen in its symmetrical plan and its ornamentation. [7] While the first floor has a limestone exterior, the second and third floors have a buff brick exterior designed to resemble an Italian Renaissance palazzo. [7]

See also

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References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Historic Federal Courthouses". Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved 2014-03-01.
  3. Nett, Walt. "Lubbock commissioners approve listing 2 historic parcels for sale". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  4. 1 2 "2011 Texas' Most Endangered Places". Preservation Texas. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  5. Musico, Josie. "Former downtown federal building, post office among properties Lubbock County sells". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved 2014-03-01.
  6. 1 2 Dotray, Matt. "Former Lubbock federal building expected to be bought". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
  7. 1 2 "National Register of Historic Places nomination 1995". Restore Lubbock. Retrieved 2014-03-01.

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