US Post Office

Story

The United States Post Office and Courthouse in Meridian, Mississippi was built in 1933. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It is a three-story limestone building built in a classical Art Deco style which was home to Meridian's main post office and a federal courthouse from its construction in 1933 until 2012 when the federal courthouse was closed due to budget cuts. The building itself is still open and still houses the post office.Previous buildingsWhen John T. Ball, one of the city's founders, bought land in the city in 1853, he built a log store on 26th Avenue and 7th Street. In this store, he persuaded the government to rent space for a small post office. In 1863, the post office was moved to the corner of 27th Avenue and Davis Street and would move five additional times before the building of the city's first Federal building in 1898. Meridian had begun a push for a Federal building as far back as 1888, and on January 2, 1898, The Meridian Star reported this dream had become a reality.The new building was designed by architect William Martin Aiken. The $80,000 three-story structure was located at 8th Street and 22nd Avenue and housed not only the post office but the city's courthouse as well. The United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi met there until 1933, and the United States Circuit Court for the Southern District of Mississippi met there until that court was abolished in 1912. As the city grew, the building was used extensively. By 1899, the post office had five mail carriers and four in-house clerks. As demand increased, an addition was made to the east side of the building in 1911.