Summary
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]
Lubbock Post Office and Federal Building | |
 Lubbock Post Office and Federal Building in 2012 | |
  Lubbock Post Office and Federal Building  Lubbock Post Office and Federal Building | |
| Location | 800 Broadway, Lubbock, Texas |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 33°35′6″N 101°50′35″W / 33.58500°N 101.84306°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1931 |
| Built by | William McDonald Construction Co. |
| Architect | James A. Wetmore |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 95000101[1] |
| Added to NRHP | February 17, 1995 |
History edit
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 edit
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 edit
References edit
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b "Historic Federal Courthouses". Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved 2014-03-01.
- ^ Nett, Walt. "Lubbock commissioners approve listing 2 historic parcels for sale". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
- ^ a b "2011 Texas' Most Endangered Places". Preservation Texas. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
- ^ Musico, Josie. "Former downtown federal building, post office among properties Lubbock County sells". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved 2014-03-01.
- ^ a b Dotray, Matt. "Former Lubbock federal building expected to be bought". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
- ^ a b "National Register of Historic Places nomination 1995". Restore Lubbock. Retrieved 2014-03-01.
External links edit
Media related to Lubbock Post Office and Federal Building at Wikimedia Commons
- Handbook of Texas: Lubbock, TX
- Photos of the Llano Estacado