NRHP: Government Square
Contents
Government Square (Old City Hall/USPO)
NRHP Reference #: 04000303
NRHP Listing Date: 20040415
Location
N 9th to N 10th, O to P Sts., Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska
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Summary
Government Square is a city block located near the west edge of downtown Lincoln. From the 1870s to 1960s it was the seat of the federal government in Nebraska's capital city; from 1905-1969 it also held Lincoln's City Hall. Three historic buildings occupy the block. Oldest is the hybrid Second Empire/High Victorian Gothic style U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, built 1874-79 on the south half of the block. The three-story limestone structure was adapted in 1907 and used until 1969 as Lincoln's City Hall (also known as Old City Hall). That building was supplanted by the second U.S. Post Office and Courthouse on the north half of the block, built in three campaigns (1904-06; 1915-16; 1939-41). Known as the Old Federal building, it is a four-story, C-shaped limestone building, designed in the Beaux Arts Neoclassical style by the Supervising Architect of the U.S. Treasury. The third and smallest building on the block is a small, limestone, Neo-Classical revival style Municipal Comfort Station, built on the west side of the south half in 1924 from designs by Lincoln architect Fritz Craig.
Further Information
Bibliography
About the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the country’s official list of historically significant properties. To be eligible for the NRHP a property must generally retain their historic appearance, be at least 50 years old, and have the potential to be documented as historically or architecturally significant at either the local, state, or national level. The National Register of Historic Places is a National Park Service program administered by the Nebraska State Historical Society for the state of Nebraska. Visit the Nebraska State Historical Society's website to learn more about the program.
