Ottumwa City Hall

U.S. Post Office
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	Court and Fourth Streets Ottumwa, Iowa
Coordinates	41°1′7″N 92°24′38″W / 41.01861°N 92.41056°WCoordinates: 41°1′7″N 92°24′38″W / 41.01861°N 92.41056°W
Built	1910-1912
Architect	James Knox Taylor
Architectural style	Renaissance Revival
NRHP Reference #	76000810[1]
Added to NRHP	August 13, 1976

Ottumwa City Hall is the official seat of government for the city of Ottumwa, Iowa, United States. The building originally served as a post office and federal courthouse. It is part of the Central Park area, which includes: Ottumwa Public Library, Wapello County Courthouse and St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.^[1]

History

The Renaissance Revival style building was designed by United States Treasury Department architects under the direction of James Knox Taylor.^[2] It replaced a smaller building that was used as the post office on the same site since 1890. The three-story structure was built between 1910 and 1912. It rises 44 feet (13 m) above the ground.^[3] The exterior is composed of ashlar limestone. The first floor features a limestone facing tooled in horizontal striations and arched windows. The building housed the United States Post Office and the United States Courthouse until 1964. The following year the first floor of the building was altered for use by the city as its city hall. Much of the original architectural details remain on the second and third floors. The interior features a white marble staircase with brass handrails. The floors in the corridors on the second and third floors are terrazzo with white marble borders.

References

1. Staff (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
2. "Federal Building (1912)" (PDF). City of Ottumwa. Retrieved 2012-04-27.
3. "Ottumwa City Hall". emporis.com. Retrieved 2012-04-27.