Charles R. Jonas Federal Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Charles R. Jonas Federal Building
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Charles R. Jonas Federal Building
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 Location in North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | 401 W. Trade St., Charlotte, North Carolina |
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| Area | 2.9 acres (1.2 ha) |
| Built | 1915 |
| Architect | Wetmore, James A. |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival, Renaissance |
| NRHP reference No. | 78001965 |
| Added to NRHP | June 7, 1978 |
The Charles R. Jonas Federal Building is a special historic building in Charlotte, North Carolina. It's also known as the United States Post Office and Courthouse. This building has been used as a courthouse for the United States District Court and as a post office.
It was designed by the Office of the Supervising Architect, led by James A. Wetmore, and finished in 1915. The building was later named after Charles R. Jonas, a Congressman from North Carolina who served for a long time. In 2005, the building was given to the city of Charlotte. However, the federal government still uses it today.
A Look Back in Time
The Charles R. Jonas Federal Building stands on a very important spot in Charlotte's history. It's one of the few old buildings left in the city's main business area.
A long time ago, in 1836, the first branch of the U.S. Mint was built on the northeast part of this site. The U.S. Mint is where money is made. Later, in 1891, a post office building was built on the southwest side. The area between these two buildings was turned into a park.
In 1913, the Mint stopped making coins at this location. That old Mint building later became the Mint Museum. The 1891 post office building was torn down. In 1915, a new post office was built where the old one stood. This was the first part of what we now call the Charles R. Jonas Federal Building.
In 1934, a large addition was built onto the post office, right where the old Mint used to be. This addition made the building three times bigger! It also changed the main entrance to face West Trade Street.
This site has always been used for important U.S. government buildings. Today, the Jonas Federal Building continues this tradition. It's a key place for federal court meetings in Western North Carolina. Charlotte is a modern city, but this building reminds us of its past. It's one of the few historic buildings left in the busy downtown area.
What Does it Look Like?
The Charles R. Jonas Federal Building is a two-story building made of limestone. It's designed in the Neoclassical style, which is inspired by ancient Greek and Roman buildings.
The front of the building, facing West Trade Street, has a long row of columns called a colonnade. In the middle, there's a part that sticks out, like the front of an ancient temple. On each side of this central part, there are more columns. These columns are very large and have fancy tops, called Corinthian columns. They hold up a decorative border called an entablature.
The three main entry doors are very fancy. They have detailed limestone frames with carved columns. There are also two other entrances with decorative frames along the sides.
The side of the building that was part of the original 1915 structure also has two entrances. These doors have decorative frames with carved columns. Next to each entrance, you can see original bronze lanterns on the wall. The other side of the building looks similar, but without main doors. Because the ground slopes, you can see the basement windows on this side.
Inside, some of the most important areas are the main lobby and a special courtroom on the second floor. The lobby used to be where people bought stamps and mailed letters. It still has its original marble floors, wood panels (called wainscot), and fancy plaster ceiling. The courtroom from the 1930s has beautiful wood paneling and carved door frames. Efforts have been made to keep the original wood in the offices on the second floor too.
