U.S. Post Office and Courthouse - Baltimore MD
Posted by: Don.Morfe
N 39° 17.448 W 076° 36.726
18S E 360974 N 4350286
The United States Post Office and Courthouse, Baltimore, Maryland (Federal Building and Courthouse) occupies the entire city block, between Calvert Street, Guilford Ave, Fayette Street, and Lexington Street.
Waymark Code: WM13Z1E
Location: Maryland, United States
Date Posted: 03/16/2021
Views: 2
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTOR Y - NOMINATION FORM
The United States Post Office and Courthouse, Baltimore, Maryland (Federal Building and Courthouse) occupies the entire city block and measures: 233 feet 2 inches Calvert Street (west) Guilford Avenue (east) 279 feet 10 inches Fayette Street (south) Lexington Street (north).
The building is of steel frame construction with concrete floors and tile roof, basement of granite and outer walls of white Indiana limestone, six story's in height and provided, with basement and two sub-base merits. Except for a slight change in the hanging of the two front entrance doors, the building presents the same outward appearance today (1976) as on its completion in 1932.
Style of the building is that form of Renaissance architecture distinguished as 1930’s neo-classical. The design is attributed by the cornerstone to Acting Supervising Architect James A. Jetmore (and by Francis J. German's history of the Baltimore Federal Courts to John A, Lane) and seems to represent a compromise between pure functionalism and the "imposing" appearance of its predecessor postal facility.
What was needed in 1930 was a lobby for postal patrons, two large open work areas for mail sorting and for city carrier routes, and entrances and loading platforms designed for motor trucks rather than trolley-car post offices and horse-drawn wagons.
Any building on this site would face an existing structure across Monument Square, the formal, Renaissance revival city courthouse. By filling out the entire block, the Federal building pushed its utilitarian, east façade and loading doors close to the seldom noticed rear of the French Second Empire city hall the two buildings separated only by Guilford Avenue, which is here little more than an alley.
Street address: 111 N Calvert Street Baltimore, MD United States 21202
County / Borough / Parish: Baltimore (Independent City)
Year listed: 1977
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Periods of significance: 1925-1949
Historic function: Government
Current function: Government
Privately owned?: no
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Hours of operation: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.