{"nrhp_refnum":"78001965","name":"Jonas, Charles R., Federal Building","other_names":["United States Post Office and Courthouse"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"401 W. Trade St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Charlotte","county":"Mecklenburg County","state":"NC","lat":35.23030328300007,"lon":-80.84671248999996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-06-07","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A federal post office and courthouse at 401 West Trade Street in Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, built in 1915 and enlarged in 1934. It is a two-level steel-frame building with a basement, standing on the site of the first U.S. Branch Mint.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building matters for its site, which held the 1836 branch mint and the 1891 post office, and for its architectural detailing and imposing size. The 1934 Neo-Classical Revival addition has a Corinthian colonnade, and the lobby and courtroom have rich marble and oak finishes. The building is also tied to the city's progress and to the decision to move the mint.","narrative":"Occupying a full block at 401 West Trade Street in Charlotte, this federal building began in 1915 as a Renaissance-style post office and was extended in 1934 in the Neo-Classical Revival style, tripling its size and turning its main axis toward West Trade Street. The steel-frame structure has two levels and a basement. Its long facade is dominated by a colonnade of Corinthian columns, with a central portico and pediment. Inside, the L-shaped lobby has marble columns, wainscot and moldings, while the courtroom is paneled in oak with carved details. The site was home to the first branch of the U.S. Mint, built in 1836, and to an 1891 post office. In 1932, when the mint faced demolition, it was reconstructed in the Eastover section and became North Carolina's first art museum. The building was listed for its architecture, its size and its place in Charlotte's history.","period_of_significance":"1915/Extended: 1934","architect_builder":"James A. Wetmore, Acting Supervising Architect for U. S. Government Buildings","architectural_style":"Renaissance (1915 section); Neo-Classical Revival (1934 addition)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied and in use as a U.S. District Court, related agencies and a downtown postal station; exterior and major interior spaces described as good to excellent condition, though some other interior spaces have been renovated with dropped ceilings and paneling.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:58:58.413746-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/16/7213/47721316/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NC/78001965.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78001965/7bfdef85e0-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78001965/7bfdef85e0-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Unknown authorUnknown author","credit_html":"Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_R._Jonas_Federal_Building,_Charlotte_(Mecklenburg_County,_North_Carolina).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47721316","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_R._Jonas_Federal_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5081857"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/north-carolina/mecklenburg-county/jonas-charles-r-federal-building-78001965/"}