Old Post Office

Style: Romanesque Revival
City: Washington, DC
Collection: romanesque revival

The Old Post Office and Clock Tower at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW was built between 1892 and 1899 to replace the 1839 General Post Office on F Street. It served as Washington's main General Post Office until 1914, then continued as a federal office building for decades before becoming a hotel in 2016.

the building

The Bells of Congress. The building's 315-foot clock tower houses the 'Bells of Congress,' and its observation level offers panoramic views over the city. Excluding radio towers, it remains the third tallest structure in Washington, D.C.

the style

The building is an example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, a heavy, round-arched style that was popular in the late 19th-century United States.

significance

The Old Post Office is a DC Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it is a contributing property to the Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site. It was nearly torn down during construction of the surrounding Federal Triangle complex but survived.

nearby

Internal Revenue Service Building 360 ft · Neoclassical
William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building 380 ft · Neoclassical · 1934
Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building 0.2 mi · Greek Revival · 1935
Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium 0.2 mi · Greek Revival · 1934
J. Edgar Hoover Building 0.2 mi · Brutalism · 1966
Warner Theatre Building (and Interior) 0.2 mi · 1924

All 315 buildings in Washington, DC