The Old Post Office and Court House is a historic former federal government building at 295 Water Street in downtown
Augusta, Maine
Augusta is the capital of the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Kennebec County.
The city's population was 18,899 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth-most populous city in Maine, and third-least populous state capital in the Un ...
. Built in 1886-1890, it is one of Maine's finest surviving examples of
Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...
architecture. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1974.
Design and Construction
The former Post Office and Court House stands on the east side of Water Street, Augusta's principal commercial downtown thoroughfare, at the southeast corner with Winthrop and Front Streets. It is a symmetrical 2-1/2 story granite structure with a central tower, flanked on either side by a wall and smaller tower. It was designed by
Mifflin E. Bell
Mifflin Emlen Bell (October 20, 1847
– May 31, 1904), often known as M.E. Bell, was an American architect who served from 1883 to 1886 as Supervising Architect of the US Treasury Department. Bell delegated design responsibilities to staff mem ...
(1846-1904), the
Supervising Architect of the US Treasury Department. Bell's term ended July 1887, and his successor
William Alfred Freret finished the job, and the building opened in January 1890.
The cost of construction was $178,281.20. It contained 427,600 cubic feet, was heated by steam, and contained a hydraulic freight elevator for post office use.
The building was enlarged sometime during the tenure of treasury architect
James Knox Taylor
James Knox Taylor (October 11, 1857 – August 27, 1929) was Supervising Architect of the United States Department of the Treasury from 1897 to 1912. His name is listed '' ex officio'' as supervising architect of hundreds of federal buildings ...
(1897 to mid-1912).
History
The building was used as a courthouse and post office until the 1960s, when a new, larger federal building was constructed for these uses. The Old Post Office was sold as surplus property to a private owner. It was adaptively repurposed to house a bank, restaurant, and office, while largely preserving the exterior.
See also
*
References
External links
*
{{National Register of Historic Places
Buildings and structures in Augusta, Maine
Romanesque Revival architecture in Maine
National Register of Historic Places in Augusta, Maine