U.S. Post Office, Courthouse and Federal Building
Also known as: Federal Building
Why it's listed
Occupying a half-block at 801 I Street in Sacramento, this federal building combined a post office, courtrooms and government offices under one roof. Designed in 1931 by the local firm Starks and Flanders, it began construction in April 1932 and opened to the public on November 6, 1933. The E-shaped structure has four main stories, granite at the base, terra cotta upper floors, a hipped clay tile roof and a colonnade of fourteen fluted Doric columns facing I Street. Two wings finished in 1938 relieved overcrowding and balanced the side elevations. The building is described as a good example of classically influenced French Renaissance style, with few comparable examples in the West. It made Sacramento northern California's major domestic mail-handling center and housed nearly all federal agencies in the area. A 1961 remodeling removed much of the upper-floor interior, though the first-floor corridor with its coffered ceiling and brass fixtures survives, and the exterior remains intact.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a good example of classically influenced French Renaissance design, of which the West has few major examples. It housed nearly all federal agencies in the area and gave Sacramento a centralized federal presence near the state capitol. It also made Sacramento the major domestic mail-handling center in northern California.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80000835, listed January 25, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 801 I St., Sacramento |
|---|---|
| County | Sacramento County |
| Listed | January 25, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000835 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Starks and Flanders |
| Architectural style | Classically influenced French Renaissance |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Marked occupied and in good condition. A 1961 remodeling converted the courtrooms and half the first floor into offices, destroying most significant features of the upper floors; the exterior retains its massive qualities. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.58244, -121.49463 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 80000835.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5440040
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.