{"nrhp_refnum":"72000856","name":"Federal Building","other_names":["Old Post Office"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"N. Fitzhugh and Church Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Rochester","county":"Monroe County","state":"NY","lat":43.15711129400006,"lon":-77.61482714399995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1972-04-13","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"The Federal Building, also called the Old Post Office, is a four-story brown sandstone public building with a tower at the northeast corner of North Fitzhugh and Church Streets in Rochester, Monroe County, New York. It was built from 1885 to 1889 in the Richardsonian Romanesque style.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is significant for its architecture, method of construction, architects and contractor. It is one of few Richardsonian buildings in downtown Rochester and is noted for its concealed metal skeleton, now a universal feature of office buildings. It is also the only positively identified surviving Harvey Ellis work in Rochester.","narrative":"Standing at the northeast corner of North Fitzhugh and Church Streets in Rochester, this four-story public building with a tower was constructed between 1885 and 1889 as the city's post office. Its walls are heavy brown sandstone from Portland, Connecticut, with granite steps and sills. Inside, a spacious rectangular courtyard with a skylight has arches, trim and wrought iron railings that differ on each floor, and a courtroom repeats exterior details such as stone or terra cotta flowers and lion-like heads. The building was extended at the rear in 1893 and 1907. It was listed for its Richardsonian Romanesque design and its concealed metal skeleton, an early use of a feature now common in office buildings. Harvey Ellis, who had worked with Henry H. Richardson, is credited with the design, and this is the only positively identified Ellis building left in Rochester. Hiram Haskell Edgerton, later the city's mayor, served as general contractor. It still houses federal offices and a post office sub-station.","period_of_significance":"1885-9","architect_builder":"Harvey and Charles Ellis (architects, with Harvey Ellis credited with the design and metal skeleton); M. E. Bell, Treasury Department supervising architect; Hiram Haskell Edgerton, general contractor","architectural_style":"Richardsonian Romanesque","criteria":[],"status_note":"Described as in good condition and altered; used as a Federal office building with a Post Office sub-station. Extended twice, in 1893 and 1907, at the rear.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:38.763174-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/72000856.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72000856/f8e7843ee8-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72000856/f8e7843ee8-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"DanielPenfield","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FederalBuildingRochesterNewYorkFrontView.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">DanielPenfield</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FederalBuildingRochesterNewYorkFrontView.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75318810","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochester_City_Hall_(New_York)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5440039"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/monroe-county/federal-building-72000856/"}