U.S. Post Office and Courthouse
Also known as: Harold Donahue Federal Building and Courthouse
Why it's listed
Standing at 595 Main Street in Worcester, this five-story federal building served as both post office and courthouse and still houses a federal courthouse and government offices. Designed in the Neo-Classical Revival style, it mixes Greek and Renaissance Revival elements. Light gray granite from West Townsend, Massachusetts, clads the lower four stories, with terra cotta on the fifth-story attic and a terra cotta tempietto cupola that is visible looking south from City Hall. Two marble columns from Danby, Vermont, dominate the northeast front, and the terra cotta frieze carries designs such as bull's skulls and ram's heads. The building sits alone on a triangular lot so it can be seen from all four sides. Major changes came in 1972-1973, when postal operations largely left, and in 1994-1995, when a light court was filled with courtrooms and offices. Windows and doors were replaced, yet the exterior keeps most of its integrity. Its listing rests on its architectural character and its place among Treasury Department federal buildings.
Significance in brief: The building is presented as an exemplary Neo-Classical Revival federal building that combines Greek and Renaissance Revival elements and conveys a federal presence. It is also placed in the historic context of post offices, courthouses and federal buildings built by the Treasury Department between 1864 and 1939. The significance section of the form is truncated in the supplied text, so the full argument is not available.
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 11000161, listed April 8, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 595 Main St, Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | April 8, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000161 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Neo-Classical Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a federal courthouse and government offices; substantially altered in 1972-1973 and 1994-1995, with windows and doors replaced. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.26263, -71.80299 (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 11000161.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715507
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.