Las Vegas Post Office and Courthouse, Las Vegas, Nevada, NRHP-listed
The Las Vegas Post Office and Courthouse is a government building in downtown Las Vegas designed in the neoclassical style with columns and symmetrical structure. It features tall doorways, broad steps at the entrance, and thick stone walls that convey a formal and solid appearance.
The building was constructed between 1931 and 1933 and officially opened on November 11, 1933 to provide Las Vegas with a federal courthouse and post office. In 1950, it became the site of an important Kefauver Committee hearing that investigated organized crime and connections to gambling operations.
The building served as a gathering place where residents conducted daily civic business like mailing letters and handling legal matters. This central role made it a familiar landmark that connected the community to the outside world and symbolized order and public service.
The site is located in downtown Las Vegas on East Stewart Avenue and is easily reached on foot, particularly if you are already in the city center. It now functions as a museum with exhibits on organized crime and law enforcement history, where visitors can view the restored courtroom and artifacts from the past.
During foundation construction, the footings were discovered to be offset by more than 30 feet (about 9 meters), causing delays and requiring a change of contractors. A hidden bottle from the Prohibition era was later discovered sealed within the wall, left untouched since the building's completion.
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