City Hall Post Office and Courthouse, Federal courthouse in Lower Manhattan, United States
The City Hall Post Office and Courthouse was a courthouse occupying a triangular site along Broadway, constructed with pale granite from Dix Island and iron framework. The five-story building housed courtrooms and federal offices on the upper floors, with a basement dedicated to mail sorting and lower levels containing the mechanical systems needed for operations.
Construction started in 1869 and was completed in 1880, allowing the building to serve postal and judicial functions for decades. The structure was demolished in 1939, ending its role in the city's infrastructure.
The five-story structure earned the nickname 'Mullett's Monstrosity' after its architect Alfred B. Mullett, reflecting how the public responded to its Second Empire style. The building's appearance sparked strong opinions about architectural taste in the city.
The building was accessible through public entrances and offered separate areas for postal and court operations. Visitors could use stairs and internal passages to navigate between the different functions housed within the structure.
The building used pneumatic tubes to transfer mail to other post offices, an early example of automated postal delivery systems. This innovative transport method was ahead of its time and demonstrated technological progress in 19th-century urban infrastructure.
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