U.S. Post Office and Customhouse
Also known as: Customs House
Why it's listed
Occupying the block between Bank and Main Streets in Richmond, this federal building began as a granite Post Office and Customs House designed by Boston architect Ammi B. Young, with Captain Albert Lybrock of Richmond as supervising architect. Completed in 1858, it originally had round-arched openings, quoins, a bracketed cornice, a shallow hipped roof and a triple-arch entrance porch. Its narrow end faced the State Capitol. Three years after completion the Confederate government took it over, and during the war it housed the Confederate Treasury Department and the office of President Jefferson Davis. In 1867 Davis's treason trial was held in its District Courtroom. Additions came in 1889, 1910, when a story was added and a wing extended the building to Tenth Street, and 1930, when an eastern wing filled the block. None of the historic interiors survived, but the original architectural character was retained, and the building still screens the foot of Capitol Square and anchors the Main Street view.
Significance in brief: It was designed by Boston architect Ammi B. Young and completed in 1858. During the Civil War the Confederate Treasury Department and the office of President Jefferson Davis were housed there, and Davis's 1867 treason proceedings were held in its District Courtroom. Its location also makes it a screen across the bottom of Capitol Square and a focal point for Main Street.
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 69000359, listed June 4, 1969. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1000 E. Main St., Richmond (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Richmond (city and county) |
| Listed | June 4, 1969 |
| Reference number | 69000359 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1858 |
| Architect / builder | Ammi B. Young (architect); Captain Albert Lybrock of Richmond (supervising architect) |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as fair and altered; the building is publicly owned, occupied and in use as a post office, and none of the historic interiors survive. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Main Street Banking Historic District (Additional Documentation) |
| Coordinates | 37.53780, -77.43466 (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 69000359.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6536542
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.