{"nrhp_refnum":"74001448","name":"Old Federal Building and Post Office","other_names":["U.S. Post Office,Custom House and Court House"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"201 Superior Ave., NE","address_restricted":false,"city":"Cleveland","county":"Cuyahoga County","state":"OH","lat":41.51245226100008,"lon":-81.69272812699995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1974-05-03","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development","Art","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A five-story gray granite federal building at 201 Superior Avenue N.E. in Cleveland, Ohio, on the northeast side of Public Square and fronting the Mall. It was designed by Arnold W. Brunner of New York City and served as a post office, custom house and court house.","why_significant":"It is the only building fronting both Public Square and the Mall, Cleveland's two most significant downtown planned spaces, and expresses the classical civic architecture of Daniel Burnham's Mall Plan. It is a major work by Arnold W. Brunner, who designed many federal buildings around the turn of the century. Its richly detailed interiors, sculpture and murals show the fine arts of its period.","narrative":"Occupying a full block at Public Square and the Mall in downtown Cleveland, this five-story federal building was designed by Arnold W. Brunner of New York City. Its gray granite walls feature a rusticated street level with arched openings, upper floors with semi-detached Corinthian columns and pilasters, bronze windows, and a balustrade and cornice concealing the top story. Two large sculptural groups by Daniel Chester French, \"Jurisprudence\" and \"Commerce,\" stand before the Superior Avenue front. Inside, the vaulted first-floor Public Lobby and two third-floor courtrooms display marble, plaster ornament, fine hardwoods and large murals, including Edwin H. Blashfield's \"The Law.\" The building was Cleveland's main downtown post office from 1911 until 1937 and has continued to house federal offices and courts. It was recognized as a major example of classical civic architecture, a key part of Daniel Burnham's Mall Plan, and a showcase of period sculpture and mural art.","period_of_significance":"20th Century","architect_builder":"Arnold W. Brunner of New York City","architectural_style":"Classical revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as occupied, in excellent condition and altered; interiors have been altered and in some cases restored. It continues to house federal offices and courts.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:10.174678-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/74001448.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/74001448/57217f49af-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/74001448/57217f49af-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Carol M. Highsmith","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Northwest_fa%C3%A7ade,_Howard_M._Metzenbaum_U.S._Courthouse,_Cleveland,_Ohio_LCCN2010719493.tif\" rel=\"noopener\">Carol M. Highsmith</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Northwest_fa%C3%A7ade,_Howard_M._Metzenbaum_U.S._Courthouse,_Cleveland,_Ohio_LCCN2010719493.tif"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71987516","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_M._Metzenbaum_United_States_Courthouse","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5920252"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/cuyahoga-county/old-federal-building-and-post-office-74001448/"}