Old Post Office Building
The Old Post Office Building at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., is a Richardsonian Romanesque landmark and a listed property on the National Register of Historic Places. Built between 1892 and 1899, it served as the headquarters of the United States Post Office Department before becoming a mixed-use federal building and, later, a luxury hotel. Its 96-metre clock tower — housing the Bells of Congress — offers a free public observation deck with panoramic views over the capital.
- Type
- Historic federal building; clock tower and observation deck
- Period
- 1892–1899
- Style
- Richardsonian Romanesque
- Location
- 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20004, USA
- Coordinates
- 38.8942° N, 77.0276° W
At a glance
- Type
- Historic federal building; hotel; public clock tower
- Period
- 1892–1899
- Style
- Richardsonian Romanesque
- Location
- Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C., USA
Overview
The Old Post Office stands at the midpoint of Pennsylvania Avenue, the ceremonial axis connecting the US Capitol to the White House. It is one of the few Romanesque Revival federal buildings to survive in central Washington and one of the first major federal structures to use a steel frame. The clock tower at 96 metres was, for a period, the tallest structure in the city and remains a free public attraction managed by the National Park Service.
History
The building was designed by Willoughby J. Edbrooke, Supervising Architect of the Treasury, and constructed between 1892 and 1899 as headquarters for the US Post Office Department. The site was contentious from the start: the building was criticised as too large and stylistically inconsistent with the neoclassical federal cityscape, earning early nicknames such as “The Old Tooth.” Repeated demolition proposals in the 20th century were defeated by preservationists. After a major renovation in the 1970s–80s, it reopened as a festival marketplace and offices; a further renovation in 2016 converted it into a luxury hotel.
What you see
The exterior features rough-hewn granite, rounded arches, and a distinctive corner clock tower in the Romanesque tradition. The interior grand atrium, originally the public postal hall, rises the full height of the building with glazed skylights and iron balconies. The tower houses the Bells of Congress — ten bells donated by the Ditchling Ringers of England as a bicentennial gift in 1976 — which are rung on national holidays and other occasions. The observation level at the top of the tower provides unrestricted views of the Capitol, the Washington Monument, and the Potomac.
Cultural significance
The Old Post Office is a landmark in American historic preservation, saved from demolition several times through public and legislative advocacy. The Bells of Congress make it one of the few places in Washington where English change-ringing is performed. As one of the oldest surviving steel-frame federal buildings in the USA, it is a significant example of late-19th-century commercial and civic construction methods.
Practical information
Address: 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20004. The clock tower observation deck is managed by the National Park Service and open to the public free of charge; hours vary by season. The building currently operates as a hotel; access to the historic atrium may be subject to hotel guest policies. Check the National Park Service website for current tower hours.
Getting there
Metro: Federal Triangle station on the Blue/Orange/Silver lines is directly adjacent. Archives–Navy Memorial–Penn Quarter station (Green/Yellow lines) is a short walk. Multiple bus routes serve Pennsylvania Avenue. The building is also within easy walking distance of the National Mall museums.