Location: 1800 5th Ave N, Birmingham, AL 35203
The Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama is significant because it is representative of the Classical Revival style of architecture, and is a continuing symbol of the Federal presence in Birmingham. With its sleekness and lack of ornate embellishment, the Birmingham Federal Building was a precursor to the more conservative Classicism exhibited in the Federal Buildings of the 1930s. The Classical Revival style of the building seems to be a transition between the pre-World War I preponderance of Beaux Arts Classicism and the more austere classicism of the 1920s and 1930s. James A. Wetmore, Supervising Architect of the Treasury, is listed as architect of the building. It was common in the early 20th Century for the employees of the U.S. Treasury Department to design Federal buildings with the Supervising Architect listed as the architect of record.
The original United States Post Office in Birmingham was a small, frame structure on 19th Street. The Post Office moved three times before locating in the new building in 1921. Although the site was acquired for the building in 1911 and the original plans completed in 1916, construction of the Federal Building was apparently halted during World War I. The building, originally two stories above a full basement, was finally completed and occupied in September of 1921, though the cornerstone was laid in May of 1918. Two stories were added to the top of the building in the 1930s. Birmingham, founded in 1871, was just beginning to boom in the early 20th Century. Much of the credit for obtaining such a large building for the young city goes to Congressman (later Senator) Oscar W. Underwood, who obtained the appropriations for initial design and construction, and continued to seek increases as the size and cost of the building grew. The Post Office has moved out of the building, but the structure continues to maintain a prominent presence in the financial/business district of downtown Birmingham. Occupying an entire city block on 5th Avenue North, between 18th and 19th streets north, the building is a local landmark and the historic symbol of the Federal presence in Birmingham. In 1990, the building was dedicated to Federal Judge, Robert S. Vance, who was assassinated in 1989.
Facts
- Architect: James A. Wetmore
- Construction Dates: 1918-1921
- GSA Building Number: AL0011ZZ
- Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places
U.S. General Services Administration