{"nrhp_refnum":"92000228","name":"Federal Building","other_names":["1903"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"341 Pine","address_restricted":false,"city":"Abilene","county":"Taylor County","state":"TX","lat":32.452081330000055,"lon":-99.73234167799995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1992-07-20","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A massive three-story brick Art Deco federal building at 341 Pine in Abilene, Taylor County, Texas, built in 1935-1936 to a design by local architect David S. Castle.","why_significant":"It is nominated under Criterion C for architecture as one of Abilene's best examples of Art Deco. It is the largest and most significant building erected in Abilene during the 1930s, when the Depression slowed local construction. It replaced an earlier 1902 federal building and also provided Depression-era jobs.","narrative":"Occupying much of a city block in downtown Abilene, this three-story brick federal building was constructed in 1935-1936 in the Art Deco style. A square main block is flanked by side and rear wings under a concealed flat roof. The symmetrical west front has eight bays. The end bays project slightly and hold the main entrances, which are framed by cast stone or terra cotta with Art Deco motifs. Six inner bays are marked by tall pilaster-like elements, stylized aluminum windows and patterned spandrels, and the parapet carries chevron detailing. Local architect David S. Castle designed it, and the A. Smith Company of Chicago built it for $267,500 after ground was broken in March 1935. It replaced an earlier 1902 federal building and provided work during the Depression, when few buildings were going up in Abilene. It is regarded as one of the city's finest Art Deco works, remains in good condition and is still used as a courthouse.","period_of_significance":"1935-1936","architect_builder":"Castle, David S.","architectural_style":"Art Deco","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Stated to be in good condition, retaining its integrity, and still in use as a courthouse; the front section is virtually unaltered despite additions to the south and rear.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:21.240091-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/18/9700/40970018/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/92000228.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/92000228/8bb97ce306-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/92000228/8bb97ce306-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Michael Barera","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abilene_June_2019_08_(Federal_Building,_United_States_Post_Office_and_Courthouse).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Michael Barera</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:Abilene_June_2019_08_(Federal_Building,_United_States_Post_Office_and_Courthouse).jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"91001811","name":"Abilene Commercial Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/texas/abilene-commercial-historic-district-91001811/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40970018","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q107320188"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/taylor-county/federal-building-92000228/"}