Construction of the Downtown Orlando Post Office, May 1, 1940
Alternative Title
Downtown Orlando Post Office Construction
Subject
Orlando (Fla.)
Post offices
Construction
Description
Construction of the new Downtown Orlando Post Office building, located at 51 East Jefferson Street, in 1940. The original post office was housed in the Federal Building, located 44 East Central Boulevard in Downtown Orlando, Florida, from 1917 to 1941. In 1935, when James Beggs, Jr. became the postmaster, he began petitioning to move the post office from its Central Boulevard and Court Avenue location to a more spacious building. In 1939, St. James Catholic Church sold a plot of land on Jefferson Street for the new building. The building was designed by Louis A. Simon in the Northern Italian Palazzo Revival-style, and was constructed by J. P. Cullen and Sons. The new building opened in 1941 and housed the post office, the courthouse, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offices. The building was named an Orlando Historic Landmark in 1989. However, it was eventually sold back to the St. James Church. In 2003, the building was renovated and came under joint ownership by both the church and the federal government. Today, the building retains its post office services but also includes offices for the Catholic Diocese.
Source
Original black and white photographs, May 1, 1940: Private Collection of Texann Ivy Buck.
Date Created
1940-05-01
Contributor
Buck, Texann Ivy
Is Format Of
Digital reproduction of original black and white photographs, May 1, 1940.