{"nrhp_refnum":"75001505","name":"Old Post Office And Federal Building","other_names":["United States Post Office and Federal Building"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"SE corner of W. 3rd and Wilkinson Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Dayton","county":"Montgomery County","state":"OH","lat":39.75848130400004,"lon":-84.19458452599997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1975-03-10","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Politics/Government","Architecture","Communications"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A granite post office and federal building at the southeast corner of West Third and Wilkinson Streets in Dayton, Ohio, built 1912-1914 and dedicated January 1, 1915, to designs by supervising architect James Knox Taylor.","why_significant":"The nomination presents it as a rare, well-preserved neo-classic revival structure and a fine example of early twentieth-century craftsmanship in stone, bronze and cabinetry. It also marks Dayton's long effort to obtain an adequate federal postal facility, and it was considered among the finest work of the supervising architect's office.","narrative":"Dominating the southeast corner of West Third and Wilkinson Streets in Dayton, this smooth New Hampshire granite building was shaped as a modified U and finished in 1914. It was dedicated on January 1, 1915. Supervising architect James Knox Taylor designed it, and Herbert B. Knox of Philadelphia's McCaul Company built it. A two-story Ionic portico fronts the facade, flanked by Doric entrance bays with bronze rosettes and eagle plaques, and the cornice carries ninety-two lion heads. Inside, Tiffany Studios designed the bronze clerk cages, desks and trim, and the lobby has marble walls, a coffered ceiling and mahogany doors. The building replaced an earlier federal post office that had become overcrowded, after Congressman James M. Cox pushed through funding for a larger structure. It was expected to serve a population of 500,000, a figure reached in 1938. The nomination values it as a neo-classic revival landmark and a record of quality craftsmanship, and notes that demolition was planned.","period_of_significance":"1915","architect_builder":"James Knox Taylor, government supervising architect; Herbert B. Knox of the Charles McCaul Company of Philadelphia, contractor","architectural_style":"Neo-classic revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Described as in excellent, unaltered condition on its original site and occupied; the General Services Administration planned to raze it once a new federal building under construction was finished, unless an alternative use was found.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:09.817541-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/75001505.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001505/e98117aa06-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001505/e98117aa06-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dayton_bankruptcy_courthouse.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dayton_bankruptcy_courthouse.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"100004316","name":"Downtown Dayton Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/ohio/downtown-dayton-historic-district-100004316/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71990496","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138610970"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/montgomery-county/old-post-office-and-federal-building-75001505/"}