Location: 515 Murray St, Alexandria, LA 71301
The passage of the Public Buildings Act of 1926 precipitated a period of building construction that was unprecedented in the United States. The Public Buildings Act specified that the office of the Supervising Architect of the Department of the Treasury would be responsible for the design and construction of all public buildings. The Alexandria, Louisiana, U.S. Post Office and Courthouse was constructed during this period in 1933. The office of the Supervising Architect of the Department of the Treasury generally designed the federal buildings of the early 1930s. Occasionally a private architectural firm was hired to design a public building. Perhaps due to the failure of over half of the nation’s architectural firms in the Depression, the design of public buildings by local firms was encouraged more and more during the 1930s. The Alexandria U.S. Post Office and Courthouse was designed by Shreveport, Louisiana architect Edward Neild.
The Alexandria U.S. Post Office and Courthouse has served in its original capacity for more than 60 years. It is an example of the Art Deco style and a symbol of the federal presence in Alexandria.
Facts
- Architect: Neild, Edward
- Construction Date: 1933
- GSA Building Number: LA0002ZZ
- National Register of Historic Places Landmark Status: National Register Listed
U.S. General Services Administration