Old Post Office, St Louis

A massive and architecturally important building in the center of downtown, the Old Post Office opened in 1884 after more than a dozen years of effort and expenditure that went into millions of dollars. Built of Missouri red granite and Maine gray granite, the building was designed in the French Second Empire style and greatly resembles its contemporary in Washington, D.C., the Old Executive Office Building. By 1961, the building was virtually empty, with its federal courtrooms and offices having moved to newer buildings. Targeted for demolition, the Old Post Office survived only after a 15-year, nationwide effort by preservationists.