Location: 207 S Houston St, Dallas, TX 75202
The Federal Building Annex, also known as the Terminal Annex, rests on land formerly owned by John Neely Bryan, Dallas’ founder and first citizen. Constructed in 1937, at the cost of $1,000,000, the white stone and yellow brick structure was considered the most modern mail-processing center in the country upon its completion. Designed by Lang and Witchell, one of Dallas’ most prominent architectural firms of the early twentieth century, the Annex is an important visual anchor on the southern edge of Dealey Plaza. Dealey Plaza, a National Historic Landmark District, is best known as the site of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on the 22nd of November, 1963. The Annex is not only physically connected with the events of that date by virtue of its location; Lee Harvey Oswald also rented a box there just weeks prior to the assassination. Contributing member of the Dealey Plaza Historic District.
The building’s interior is marked by two eight-foot murals commissioned as part of New Deal Art Programs soon after the Annex’s completion. After a national design competition in which 149 entries were received, regionalist painter Peter Hurd was selected. Known for his landscape, figure, and genre paintings of New Mexico, Hurd focused on capturing light and atmosphere in his work. Entitled Pioneer Home Builders and Airmail Over Texas, the two fresco murals depict early Texas history.
Facts
- Architects: Lang and Witchell
- Construction Date: 1930
- GSA Building Number: TX0057ZZ
- Landmark Status: National Historic Landmark
U.S. General Services Administration
