{"nrhp_refnum":"74001250","name":"Federal Building and Post Office","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"271 Cadman Plaza, E.","address_restricted":false,"city":"New York","county":"Brooklyn","state":"NY","lat":40.69565142700003,"lon":-73.98964447599997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1974-10-09","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Romanesque Revival granite federal building and post office occupying a full block at 271 Cadman Plaza East, on Johnson Street, in Brooklyn, New York. The original section was built 1885-1891, with a matching extension completed in 1933.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is an outstanding example of Romanesque Revival architecture, noted for its skillful massing, carving and craftsmanship. Its chateauesque roofline and Renaissance details give it a lively character that contrasts with the sedate surroundings. It is also a significant visual element of the Municipal Center complex along Cadman Plaza.","narrative":"Occupying an entire block in downtown Brooklyn bounded by Cadman Plaza East and Johnson, Adams and Tillary Streets, this granite federal building and post office was begun in 1885 and finished in 1891. Mifflen E. Bell, Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department, designed it, though several successors worked on it before it opened in April 1892. The site consumed over half the appropriation, leaving little for construction. The original section has three and a half stories, slate mansard roofs, dormers, a square corner tower and conical-roofed turrets flanking a grand arched entrance. Round arches, carved rosettes and polished and rock-faced granite give the exterior its texture. A 1933 extension, supervised by James Wetmore, copies the original materials and ornament closely. Its significance rests on its quality as Romanesque Revival work, enlivened by chateauesque rooflines and Renaissance details, and on its role as a prominent landmark along Cadman Plaza near Borough Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge.","period_of_significance":"1885-1933","architect_builder":"Mifflen E. Bell, Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department (original); James Wetmore, Acting Architect of the Treasury Department (1933 extension)","architectural_style":"Romanesque Revival with chateauesque character and French and German Renaissance elements","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as in excellent condition and altered, occupied and in use as a post office and government building; the original Johnson Street main entrance is no longer in use.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:39.769029-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/74001250.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/74001250/5072c87839-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/74001250/5072c87839-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Beyond My Ken","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:U.S._Post_Office_and_Bankruptcy_Court,_Brooklyn.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Beyond My Ken</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:U.S._Post_Office_and_Bankruptcy_Court,_Brooklyn.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75318381","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Building_and_Post_Office_(Brooklyn)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5440041"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/brooklyn/federal-building-and-post-office-74001250/"}