Robert N.C. Nix, Sr. Federal Building
- Architect
- The Ballinger Company
- Year
- 1937
- Style
- Streamline Moderne
- City
- Philadelphia, PA
Built between 1937 and 1941 as the United States Court House and Post Office Building, this Center City structure was designed by Harry Sternfeld of The Ballinger Company in the Streamline Moderne style, an unusual choice for a federal building of its era. Renamed in December 1985 for Robert N. C. Nix Sr., a longtime Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania's 1st district and the first African American to represent Pennsylvania in Congress, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
the building
Sculptural reliefs. The building's facade is decorated with sculptures and reliefs by Donald De Lue and Edmond Amateis, ornament unusual for a Depression-era federal building otherwise dominated by streamlined, unornamented surfaces.
Scale on a Center City block. The seven-story building rises about 115 feet above grade and occupies a two-acre lot bounded by Market, Ninth, and Chestnut Streets, running 170 feet along both Market and Chestnut.
the style
Streamline Moderne, with its smooth curves and horizontal emphasis, was a style more associated with 1930s cinemas and diners than federal courthouses, making its use here for a U.S. Court House and Post Office a notable departure.
More on Streamline Modernethe architect
Harry Sternfeld designed the building for The Ballinger Company, one of Philadelphia's established architectural firms of the period.
significance
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990, the building was renamed in 1985 to honor Robert N. C. Nix Sr., the first African American elected to Congress from Pennsylvania.
nearby
- St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Philadelphia
- Old Federal Reserve Bank
- New York Mutual Life Insurance Company Building
- Robinson Department Store
- Walnut Street Theatre
- Randolph Theatre