Jonesboro U.S Post Office and Courthouse
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
This structure was constructed between 1911 and 1913 and served Jonesboro as the U.S Post Office and a federal courthouse until the 1970s. The building was designed using the Renaissance Revival style of architecture thanks to the work of James Knox Taylor, the Supervising Architect of the United States Department of the Treasury from 1897 to 1912. The combined post office and courthouse were built to meet the needs of postal customers in Jonesboro and citizens in the Eastern District of Arkansas. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 29, 2019, for its association with the U.S Postal Service and Federal Court, as well as the architectural significance of the structure.
Images
The Front View of the Building
The Right View of the Building
The Left View of the Building
4. The Back View of the Building
The Corner Stone Located Near the Northwest Corner of the Building
The Right Side of the First Floor
The Left Side of the First Floor
A Heavy Safe Door on the Left Side of the Lobby on the First Floor
Stairs to the Second Floor
Former Courthouse on the Second Floor
An Old Boiler in the Basement
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
The building was enlarged and renovated in 1936 to add approximately thirty percent more floor space for the post office and courtroom. In addition to serving the needs of the postal service and federal court system, many other government agencies have also held offices in this building short or long within the next four decades including the Civil Service Commission, USMC Recruiting Station, US Agricultural Extension Service, Agricultural Stabilization & Conservation, and Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In April 1977, the building was declared surplus federal property and the City of Jonesboro and Craighead County jointly purchased the building soon after. Since that time, the old Jonesboro Post Office and Courthouse underwent several owners, including the city police department. The restaurant Sue’s Kitchen has been located in the former post office and mail sorting area, as well as Church Street Station, an event and party venue in the former courtroom. Currently, the owner of the building is Dr. Brock Harris. On October 1, 2020, Compass Church leased the building to serve the needs of its congregation.
Sources
City Directory (Jonesboro, Craighead County, Arkansas). R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers. 1936-1977. Accessed from the historic archive of Jonesboro Public library.
Ratermann, Travis. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form CG0045. April 4, 2019. Accessed June 11, 2020. https://www.arkansasheritage.com/docs/default-source/national-registry/CG0045-pdf.
Vine, Troy. Interview by Ruth Ximai Shi. Compass Church. Jonesboro. June 9, 2021.
Wikipedia. “James Knox Taylor” last modified September 19, 2020. Accessed June 20, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Knox_Taylor
Ximai Shi, June 9, 2021.
Ximai Shi, June 9, 2021.
Ximai Shi, June 9, 2021.
Ximai Shi, June 9, 2021.
Ximai Shi, June 9, 2021.
Ximai Shi, June 9, 2021.
Ximai Shi, June 9, 2021.
Ximai Shi, June 9, 2021.
Ximai Shi, June 9, 2021.
Ximai Shi, June 9, 2021.
Ximai Shi, June 9, 2021.