Letting of the building contract was delayed until 1916, and construction did not commence until January 1917. The actual purchase of the property was delayed by title disputes and negotiations with the federal government, but the transaction was finalized by August 1915. In April 1914, voters elected to sell the site to the Federal Government, in exchange for $5,000.234. Though many had opposed building in the square in the past, the lure of federal funding overcame ideals that had been in place since perhaps the formation of the town plan in 1779. Citizens of Nacogdoches had been lobbying for the construction of a federal building since 1905, but it took nearly a decade for their efforts to come to fruition. Erected at perhaps the most prominent location within the downtown district, the former United States Post Office and Federal Building occupies the previously vacant plaza principal at the juncture of Main, Fredonia, Pilar, and Pecan Streets. With the exception of this addition, and many interior renovations, the building remains virtually intact. A two-story addition to the south facade was executed in the same materials and form language as the original portion of the building. The property exhibits typical if simplified Classical Revival details that include inset panels, roundels, and a corbelled cornice. Each of the subordinate wings contain one multi-light sash window, accented by a limestone panel set just above the opening. The arches above the central doorway and each of the flanking windows compositionally recall fanlight windows, but are filled with cast stone relief in varying patterns. The entrance doorway, set within the center division of the central bay, features a multi-light wood frame door with side lights and a triple transom window. The center bay contains three minor divisions, consisting of central entry way flanked by two symmetrical Paladianesque filled arches. The primary facade faces onto Main Street, symmetrically arranged to read as a three-part composition with a slightly inset central bay flanked by subordinate wings on the east and west. The building is composed as a central block with wings, with a modified rectangular plan. The United States Post Office and Federal Building is a 1-story building, executed in red brick with a cast sandstone base and entablature. This property not only represents one of the few local examples of Classical Revival architecture, reflecting a nationwide trend in the design of government buildings, but signals the presence of the federal government in Nacogdoches beginning in 1914 (at the encouragement of local citizen groups). Since its official opening in February 1918, this building has served as a backbone of civic activity, a function which continued during its life as a public library, through its current function as the Nacogdoches Visitor's Center.
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