National Register of Historic Places

U.S. Post Office

Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa
Listed
August 12, 1976
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
76000810

About this property

Ottumwa City Hall is the official seat of government for the city of Ottumwa, Iowa, United States. The building originally served as a post office and federal courthouse. It is part of the Central Park area, which includes: Ottumwa Public Library, Wapello County Courthouse and St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The Renaissance Revival style building was designed by United States Treasury Department architects under the direction of James Knox Taylor. It replaced a smaller building that was used as the post office on the same site since 1890. The three-story, U-shaped structure was built between 1910 and 1912. It rises to a height of 44 feet (13 m). The exterior is composed of ashlar limestone. In addition to be a fine example of the Renaissance Revival style in Iowa, this is one of the few buildings in Ottumwa clad in stone. The first floor features a limestone facing tooled in horizontal striations and arched windows. Decorative features include stone dentils, paneling, medallions, and Iconic pilasters. The building is capped with a green tile hipped roof. The building housed the United States Post Office and the United States Courthouse until 1964. The following year the first floor of the building was altered for use by the city as its city hall. Much of the original architectural details remain on the second and third floors. The interior features a white marble staircase with brass handrails. The floors in the corridors on the second and third floors are terrazzo with white marble borders.

Location

Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa
41.01873, -92.41069

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Garner, J.W., Building
Industrial
0 mi
Wapello County Courthouse
Industrial
0.1 mi
Hofmann Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Benson Block
Industrial
0.1 mi
Jay Funeral Home
Industrial
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was U.S. Post Office listed on the National Register?

U.S. Post Office was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 12, 1976.

What type of historic resource is U.S. Post Office?

U.S. Post Office is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for U.S. Post Office?

The period of significance for U.S. Post Office is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near U.S. Post Office?

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