Lubbock Post Office and Federal Building

The Lubbock Post Office and Federal Building, located at 800 Broadway in downtown Lubbock, Texas, was a post office and federal courthouse from 1932-1968.[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
Location800 Broadway, Lubbock, Texas
Coordinates33°35′6″N 101°50′35″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1931 (1931)
Built byWilliam McDonald Construction Co.
ArchitectJames A. Wetmore
Architectural styleClassical Revival
NRHP reference No.95000101[1]
Added to NRHPFebruary 17, 1995

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

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  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. "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. Dotray, Matt. "Former Lubbock federal building expected to be bought". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
  7. "National Register of Historic Places nomination 1995". Restore Lubbock. Retrieved 2014-03-01.
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