The United States Post Office and Courthouse, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is a historic

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a structure which houses judicial functions for a governmental entity such as a state, region, province, county, prefecture, regency, or similar governmental unit. A courthouse is home to one or more courtrooms, ...

, and Federal

office An office is a space where the employees of an organization perform Business administration, administrative Work (human activity), work in order to support and realize the various goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a po ...

building built in 1912 and located at

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

Oklahoma County, Oklahoma Oklahoma County is a County (United States), county located in the Central Oklahoma, central part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 796,292, making it the most populous county in ...

. It previously served as a courthouse of the

United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma The United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma (in case citations, W.D. Okla. or W.D. Ok.) is a federal court in the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, Tenth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims a ...

, and of the United States Court of Appeals, briefly housing the Eighth Circuit and, then the

Tenth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (in case citations, 10th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * District of Colorado * District of Kansas * Distr ...

for several decades. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1974. It continues to house the

Bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...

court for the Western District of Oklahoma. The building includes Moderne and Beaux Arts.

Building history

The United States Post Office and Courthouse was the first monumental structure in Oklahoma City and served as an anchor for future federal development. Plans for the construction of the building began in 1903 when Congress appropriated funds for a downtown facility. Due to the region's rapid growth, original funding was insufficient and additional money was allotted in 1906, 1908, and 1910. It was the first federal building constructed in Oklahoma, which became a state only five years prior to the building's 1912 completion. As a courthouse, the building housed the

. In 1926, the

United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (in case citations, 8th Cir.) is a United States federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following United States district courts: * Eastern District of Arkansas * Western ...

began using the building, until the Courts of Appeals were reorganized in 1929, and Oklahoma was placed in the

. The Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit met here from 1929 until 1962.Federal Judicial Center Historic Federal Courthouses on the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Two important cases were decided in this building.

George "Machine Gun" Kelly Machine Gun Kelly most often refers to: * Machine Gun Kelly (gangster) (1900–1954), Prohibition era American gangster * Machine Gun Kelly (musician) (born 1990), American actor and musician Machine Gun Kelly may also refer to: * ''Machine-Gun K ...

, a notorious outlaw of the

Prohibition era Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacturing, manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption ...

, was found guilty of kidnapping Oklahoma City oilman and millionaire Charles F. Urschel. Kelly was sentenced in 1933 to life in prison and sent to

Alcatraz Island Alcatraz Island () is a small island about 1.25 miles offshore from San Francisco in San Francisco Bay, California, near the Golden Gate, Golden Gate Strait. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a Alcatraz Isla ...

San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay (Chochenyo language, Chochenyo: 'ommu) is a large tidal estuary in the United States, U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the cities of San Francisco, California, San ...

. Kelly's trial was the first in the nation to allow sound and picture equipment in a federal courtroom. In 1949, the case of '' McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents'' was heard. The court's decision desegregated graduate schools in Oklahoma. The building is part of a Federal complex that included a separate courthouse constructed in 1959 and the

Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was a United States federal government complex located at 200 N.W. 5th Street in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. On April 19, 1995, the building was the target of the Oklahoma City bombing by Timothy McV ...

. In April 1995, a terrorist bomb destroyed the Murrah building causing tragic injuries and fatalities. Portions of the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, most notably the tower, were damaged by concussions from the blast. Repairs were made to windows, ceiling tiles, and lights. Today, the site of the bombing is the

Oklahoma City National Memorial The Oklahoma City National Memorial is a memorial site in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, that honors the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were affected by the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995. It is situated on the form ...

. A new federal building is located several blocks north of the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse. The building was listed in the

in 1974. In 1992, the U.S. General Services Administration completed a restoration of significant interior spaces. The restoration was recognized with awards from the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office and the Oklahoma Chapter of the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

. Although the post office relocated in 1966, the building continues to function in its historic capacity as a federal courthouse and office building.

Architecture

This landmark building was designed the

Office of the Supervising Architect The Office of the Supervising Architect was an agency of the United States Treasury Department that designed federal government buildings from 1852 to 1939. About The office handled some of the most important architectural commissions of ...

of the U.S. Treasury Department under

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 b ...

. The building was constructed in 1912 in the

Beaux Arts Classicism Beaux-Arts architecture ( , ) was the academic architectural style taught at the in Paris, particularly from the 1830s to the end of the 19th century. It drew upon the principles of French neoclassicism, but also incorporated Renaissance and B ...

style. This style of architecture was commonly used for important public buildings from the end of the 19th century until the early years of the 20th century. The building's symmetry, monumental form,

balustrade A baluster () is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its ...

, and

pilaster In architecture, a pilaster is both a load-bearing section of thickened wall or column integrated into a wall, and a purely decorative element in classical architecture which gives the appearance of a supporting column and articulates an ext ...

s (attached columns) are characteristic of Beaux Arts Classicism. The original portion of the building is three stories tall and faced with

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

Pediment Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In an ...

s, arched openings, and shallow balconies are other notable components of the facade. The roof is covered with red tiles. The original building was enlarged on two separate occasions. In 1919, an addition that doubled the building size was constructed on the west side of the original building. The Office of the Supervising Architect was once again responsible for the design, which was executed in the Beaux Arts Classicism style to blend with the original portion of the building. The facility was enlarged again in 1932 when another addition was completed. Both additions were carried out by the Office of the Supervising Architect under

James A. Wetmore James Alfonso Wetmore (November 1863 – March 14, 1940) was an American lawyer and administrator, best known as the Acting Supervising Architect of the U.S. Office of the Supervising Architect of the United States Treasury Department, Treasury ...

. This second addition, located on the western end of the 1919 portion, once again respected the Beaux Arts Classicism of the earlier portions. As part of the 1932 expansion, a centrally placed tower was added over the 1919 addition. The tower features stylized decorative motifs that are characteristic of

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

architecture, which emphasizes the verticality of the design and incorporates Classical forms while minimizing ornate elements. File:OK-OKC-USPO-courthouse-southwest.JPG, Southwest corner File:OK-OKC-USPO-courthouse-northwest.JPG, Northwest corner File:OK-OKC-USPO-courthouse-southface.JPG, South entrance File:OK-OKC-USPO-courthouse-nrhp.JPG, National Register of Historic Places plaque The interior is as impressive as the exterior. In 1992, the U.S. General Services Administration restored major public spaces to their original splendor. The lobby, which runs the length of the building, contains a barrel-vaulted ceiling with arched openings that contain geometric, metal grilles. Also in the lobby, the patterned tile floor, green-and-gold starburst ceiling stencils, brass chandeliers, and bronze elevator doors were restored. Elaborate ceilings in the courtrooms, some of which contain skylights with grilles, were refurbished. An ornamental painted ceiling was added to the ninth-floor courtroom. Although the ceiling was shown as part of the architect's original design, it was not executed during construction in 1932. Two murals near the main entrance were painted in 1935 as part of the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to car ...

program. Covered up during modernization work, the murals have since been restored. One depicts a Postal Service

Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company. During its 18 months of opera ...

rider seal, and the other is an image of the

Great Seal of the United States The Great Seal is the seal of the United States. The phrase is used both for the Seal (emblem), impression device itself, which is kept by the United States secretary of state, and more generally for the impression it produces. The Obverse and r ...

. The first floor lobby contains two paintings by James D. Butler that were installed in 1993. "''Sunset Near the Chisholm Trail''" symbolizes the cowboy heritage and agricultural significance of Oklahoma. "''A View Near Tahlequah, Cherokee County''" symbolizes the state's Native American legacy and natural beauty.

Significant events

*1903: Initial plans made for a post office building in the Oklahoma Territory *1907: Oklahoma statehood *1912: U.S. Post Office and Courthouse completed *1919: First Addition to the original building completed *1932: Second addition, including the Art Deco tower, completed *1933: George "Machine Gun" Kelly trial *1949: ''McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents'' case decided *1974: U.S. Post Office and Courthouse listed in the

*1992: Restoration of the building completed *1995: Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombed

Building facts

*Location: 215 Dean A. McGee Avenue *Architects: James Knox Taylor; James A. Wetmore *Construction dates: 1912; 1919; 1932 *Restoration: 1992 *Landmark Status: Listed in the

*Architectural Style: Beaux Arts Classicism with Art Deco Tower *Primary Material: Limestone *Prominent Features: Art Deco Tower; Restored First-Floor Lobby

References

Attribution

* {{NRHP in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma Courthouses in Oklahoma Beaux-Arts architecture in Oklahoma Streamline Moderne architecture in Oklahoma Government buildings completed in 1912 Buildings and structures in Oklahoma City Federal courthouses in the United States Post office buildings in Oklahoma Works Progress Administration in Oklahoma Art Deco architecture in Oklahoma Courthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Oklahoma Post office buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Oklahoma Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Oklahoma 1912 establishments in Oklahoma National Register of Historic Places in Oklahoma City