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1906. "Post Office -- Montgomery, Alabama." Municipal Dungeon (Basement Level) open daily 9 to 3. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size.
This building, constructed in the early 1880s, was at the southwest corner of Dexter and Lawrence. (A late-brutalist BBVA Compass Bank occupies the spot today.) The second floor housed various federal offices and the third floor housed the federal district court. By the 1920s, these activities greatly outgrew their quarters, prompting Congress to authorize construction of a much larger building about four blocks away, at Church and Lee. Opened in 1933, the next federal building is now known as the Frank M. Johnson Jr. Federal Courthouse.
Look at the various masonry details here guys.
Truly a lost art.
The amount of skill that went into lay out and setting up the various decorative details is truly amazing in an age of no laser levels, boom lifts, or 3D imaging devices and using nothing but a simple folding rule and fuzzy blueprints.
The equipment on the roof certainly looks like meteorological equipment. Possibly owned by the National Weather Service/U.S. Coast Survey? This must have been a very impressive building when it was built in 1838.
[That would be 1883. -tterrace]
Could the box be a covered air raid horn?
[To warn of imminent attack from Kitty Hawk? -tterrace]
The small structure to the left (!) of the clocktower appears to be a weather station.
Anyone know what the deal is with the watchtower on the roof? Its a bit early to be looking for low flying planes.
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