Robert S. Vance Federal Building
The Robert Smith Vance Federal Courthouse Building, occupying half of a block at 1800 5th Avenue North was originally the main U. S. Post Office for Birmingham. It was designed in the Classical Revival style by the U. S. Treasury Department architectural staff under James A. Wetmore, and dedicated in 1921. Built to a 1916 design, the construction was delayed by World War I. The ornamentation of the building is much simpler than the Beaux-Arts style common before 1920 and served as a precursor to the austere Federal style of the 1930s.
This white Georgia marble building with it's long Ionic colonnade was the fifth location of Birmingham's main post office. The size of the building anticipated the needs of the rapidly growing city and reflects the foresight of Oscar Underwood who guided appropriations for the construction through congress. Since its opening it has housed Federal courts alongside its postal operations.
A third floor was added in the 1940s. The post office eventually moved to a new facility on the eastern side of downtown. In 1990 the building was dedicated to the memory of Circuit Court Judge Robert S. Vance who was killed by a mail bomb in December 1989.
In 2009 the General Services Administration obtained $42.5 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to renovate the courthouse building. Planned work includes repairing and replacing windows, repairing exterior walls, correcting drainage problems, upgrading heating and air conditioning, roof repairs or replacement and elevator upgrades.
References
- Satterfield, Carolyn Green (1976) Historic Sites of Jefferson County, Alabama. Birmingham: Jefferson County Historical Commission/Gray Printing Company
- Faulk, Kent (April 4, 2009) "Birmingham, Alabama's Robert Vance federal courthouse will get $42.5 million makeover." 'The Birmingham News