US Post Office, Former
Also known as: Federal Building
Why it's listed
Completed in 1936 at 405 East Market Street in Smithfield, this brick building served as the town post office for just over thirty years, until January 1968. It replaced an earlier post office built in 1928 and destroyed by fire in 1934, and was funded through federal public works support sought by town leaders and their congressman. The five-bay front features an Ionic frontispiece with a broken pediment, a slate roof, limestone trim and nine-over-nine sash windows. The General Services Administration renovated it in 1969-1970 for four federal agricultural agencies and added the aluminum "FEDERAL BUILDING" lettering on the facade. In 1991 it was converted to law offices. Although the interior was substantially changed, the exterior remains largely intact, and some original basement features, including restrooms and doors, survive. Its significance rests on its role as a local symbol of the federal government and as an example of classically detailed Depression-era post offices.
Significance in brief: It is argued to be significant in politics/government as Smithfield's major symbol of the federal presence in the 1930s and as an example of classically detailed Depression-era federal post offices. It replaced a 1928 post office destroyed by fire in 1934. The exterior remains largely intact, while the interior was altered in 1969-1970 and 1991.
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 93000315, listed April 22, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 405 E. Market St., Smithfield |
|---|---|
| County | Johnston County |
| Listed | April 22, 1993 |
| Reference number | 93000315 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1935-1936 |
| Architect / builder | U.S. Treasury |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival (described in the text as Federal Revival) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Renovated in 1991 for use as law offices; the former post office is now in professional office use. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 35.51037, -78.34421 (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 93000315.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19817719
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.