Federal Building, Federal courthouse and former post office in Downtown Sacramento, California, United States
The Federal Building in Downtown Sacramento is a 1933 government building designed by the local firm Starks and Flanders. It combines Neoclassical elements with a simplified Renaissance Revival style drawn from French Renaissance architecture. The building has served as a courthouse, a post office and a federal office building.
The Federal Building was designed by the Sacramento firm Starks and Flanders, whose legacy firm Nacht & Lewis Architects still operates in the city. Construction was completed in 1933. It served the United States District Court for the Northern District of California until the Eastern District was created in 1966, and its post office moved to Westfield Downtown Plaza on July 31, 2012. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The building's name changed with its tenants: it was the U.S. Post Office, Courthouse and Federal Building before becoming simply the Federal Building. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California sat here until the Eastern District was created in 1966. The post office moved to Westfield Downtown Plaza on July 31, 2012.
Expect security screening similar to airport procedures and bring valid identification when visiting. Weekday visits during regular business hours offer the best chance to see the courthouse in operation.
The building's architects, Starks and Flanders, also designed the Elks Tower, the Alhambra Theatre and C. K. McClatchy High School. Their successor firm, Nacht & Lewis Architects, still works in Sacramento. The Federal Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
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