United States Post Office
National Register of Historic Places

United States Post Office

Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota
Listed
March 31, 2010
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
10000130

About this property

The United States Post Office building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, also known as the "Old" Federal Building, is a structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built from 1912 through 1915 and served as the main post office for Minneapolis until the present-day Minneapolis Post Office building was completed in 1936. Since then, it has housed a variety of federal offices. It became a focus for Vietnam War protests during the 1960s and 1970s, when the Armed Forces Examining and Entrance Station was located there. On April 3, 1968, demonstrators marched from Johnston Hall on the University of Minnesota campus to the Old Federal Building to participate in the Day of Resistance, a protest organized across the country. More protests ensued over the following years. On August 17, 1970, at 3 AM, a bomb was set off by the steps of the Second Street entrance. The explosion caused an estimated $500,000 of damage to the building, injured a security guard, and shattered windows up to several blocks away. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. In 2022, Minnesota U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith introduced legislation to rename the building after Paul Wellstone. The building was renamed to the Paul D. Wellstone Federal Building in 2024. The Trump administration initially listed the building as surplus to federal requirements but the building was removed from that list later in 2025.

Location

212 3rd Ave. S.
Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota
44.98296, -93.26463

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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about United States Post Office

This page lists United States Post Office. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your United States Post Office report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Grain Belt Beer Sign
Industrial
0.2 mi
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Depot, Freight House and Train Shed
Listed
0.2 mi
Flour Exchange Building
Industrial
0.3 mi
Farmers and Mechanics Savings Bank
Industrial
0.3 mi
Chamber of Commerce Building
Industrial
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was United States Post Office listed on the National Register?

United States Post Office was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 31, 2010.

What type of historic resource is United States Post Office?

United States Post Office is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for United States Post Office?

The period of significance for United States Post Office is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1936.

Can I research the history near United States Post Office?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near United States Post Office will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Hennepin County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Hennepin County.

Explore HennepinCounty ›

More historic places in Minnesota

Browse all historic places in Minnesota.

View Minnesotahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Minnesota history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Minnesotahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near United States Post Office will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report