Old U.S. Post Office and Federal Building
Why it's listed
Built between 1905 and 1908 on Mulberry Street in downtown Macon, this three-story marble building, with a basement, was designed to hold the post office and federal offices. Georgia marble covers the exterior in a Roman-Ionic style, with a rusticated base, a triangular pediment carried by four pairs of double Ionic columns, and a balustrade around three sides of the roof. James Knox Taylor was the supervisory architect, and the Mankin Construction Company of Richmond, Virginia, broke ground in September 1905. Postal operations began in August 1908. A rear wing added in 1917 provided more federal office space. Originally the post office occupied the first floor, with a federal court room and judges' offices on the second and the U.S. marshal and a weather bureau room on the third. It replaced an 1886 courthouse and post office on the same site. Writer Harry Stillwell Edwards served as postmaster during construction. The building is valued as a Macon landmark of notable architectural merit.
Significance in brief: The form describes the building as a Macon landmark since 1908 and a structure of exceptional architectural merit that adds to the character of Mulberry Street. It housed the post office, federal court and other federal offices. Harry Stillwell Edwards, a noted Macon writer, was postmaster during its construction.
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 72000370, listed January 20, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 475 Mulberry St., Macon |
|---|---|
| County | Bibb County |
| Listed | January 20, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000370 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1908 |
| Architect / builder | James Knox Taylor (supervisory architect); Mankin Construction Company of Richmond, Virginia (contractor) |
| Architectural style | Roman-Ionic |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The form states the building still houses Federal Courts and other activities; the main Post Office operation moved to a new Federal Building in 1964. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Macon Historic District |
| Coordinates | 32.83713, -83.62536 (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 72000370.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7085346
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.