US Post Office, Courthouse, and Custom House - Spokane, WA
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T0SHEA
N 47° 39.483 W 117° 25.525
11T E 468056 N 5278382
In the heart of the civic section of downtown, this has been Spokane's's central Post Office for 104 years, as of 2013.
Waymark Code: WMJQRV
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 12/19/2013
Views: 4
Though land for the site was purchased by the Federal Government in 1903 at a cost of $100,000, construction of the first major federal building constructed in the "Inland Empire" did not begin until 1908, with completion following in 1909. On Riverside Avenue, it is one block east of the Riverside Avenue Historic District. The Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department, James Knox Taylor, designed the building in the years 1906 and 1907. What emanated from his drafting table was a building influenced both by Beaux Arts Classicism and the Second Renaissance Revival.
The Exterior
A central projection of the building's south (front) facade is broken into advancing and receding planes providing visual diversity of light and shadow. Strictly symmetrical massing and monumental coupled columns lend the building a sense of formal dignity.
Embellished consoles beneath the second story belt course and beneath the lintels of the second story aedicular window enframement, balustrades above the belt course and on the parapet, and the denticulated cornice add delicacy and "human scale" to the otherwise massive building.
The building's horizontal divisions are emphasized by the treatment of the stone facing: The raised basement is of smooth grey granite, the ground story is of smooth limestone with banded rustication, and the second and third stories are of smooth Bedford limestone.
From The Register
The original building was 178' x 109' in size and surrounded a a 63' x 48' light court in its centre. As is the norm, Spokane eventually outgrew the building, necessitating expansion. This was effected by purchasing land to the north and adding to the north end of the building in a manner that harmonized and matched perfectly with the old. The architect for the expansion was Louis A. Simon, then Supervising Architect of the Federal Works Administration. At the same time the lobby was enlarged 16' in width and 78' in length.
Since 1941, relatively few alterations have been done to the building, leaving the building with a general appearance very similar to when it was built. In 1994 major non-cosmetic work was done with high efficiency lighting, modern elevators, and new HVAC equipment being installed. Many interior public spaces also underwent renovation and restoration.
The interior contains several ornate spaces. The first floor of the building contains formal public spaces such as the lobby, elevator vestibule, and main staircase. These areas have impressive proportions and finishes. Marble pilasters, floors, and wainscot; decorative plaster wall panels and coffered (recessed) ceilings; and terrazzo flooring are present.
The federal district courtroom and its lobby, which are located on the third floor, underwent renovation and restoration work in 1994. Marble floors and walls are located in the lobby, and the courtroom features rich details such as Ionic pilasters and decorative plasterwork. An oval skylight is set within an oval dome in the courtroom. Original stained oak rails, benches, and desks remain.
Offices are on the second and third floors. Wide corridors with terrazzo floors and marble baseboards separate perimeter offices from interior light courts.
In addition to the ornate spaces, the building contained a common feature in post offices of the era. The "sneak hole" was a specially constructed, enclosed gallery located above the postal workroom that allowed inspectors to secretly observe the actions of employees through strategically placed peep holes. The "sneak hole" is no longer in use today.
From U.S. General Services Adminisaration