Sacramento Federal Building

Completed in 1938, this federal building was designed in the Neo-Classical style by the architectural firm of Stark and Flanders. The monumental building initially opened in 1933 with a U.S. Post Office on the ground level, along with two elaborate courtrooms on the fourth floor, and office space on the floors in between. Additional wings were added a few years later in 1938, making this structure the third largest federal building in the state of California. In 1980, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the U.S. Post Office, Courthouse, and Federal Building. Currently, it is known as the Sacramento Federal Building, and it contains the offices of several government agencies providing services in Sacramento and Northern California.

Built during the 1930s, this historic U.S. Post Office, Courthouse, and Federal Building was designed by the architectural firm of Stark and Flanders. The firm had designed other civic buildings, including the nearby City Hall, and other structures in Sacramento and Northern California, such as the Fox Senator Theater and the Alhambra Theater (both demolished in the 1970s), the Fresno Bee Building, the Sacramento Elks Tower, and the C.K. McClatchy High School. After the construction of the Sacramento Federal Building in 1933, a U.S. Post Office operated for a time on the main level. The fourth floor contained two elaborate federal courtrooms.

Additional wings were added from 1937 to 1938, expanding the square footage, while complementing the symmetrical design. Situated along I Street, the building’s Neo-Classical colonnade and row of fifteen recessed windows created a striking and imposing façade. The exterior is clad with California granite on the first story, and the upper three stories are surfaced with terra cotta and buff brick. The interior of the building contains architectural materials such as marble, plaster, and glazed tile. At each entrance, the words “United States of America” are inscribed over the doorways.

A historical marker was placed on site by the U.S. Department of the Interior, commemorating the property’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The marker is visible at knee level to the right of the entrance. The building currently contains the offices of the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration and several other government agencies that provide services in Sacramento and Northern California. These include the Sacramento Public Defenders Office, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Federal Railroad Administration, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Hearing and Appeals Office, and the Indian Gaming Commission.

Mariner, Cosmos. "United States Post Office, Courthouse, & Federal Building", Historical Marker Database. March 8th, 2020. Accessed September 9th, 2023. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=146396.

"National Register #80000835: Post Office, Courthouse and Federal Building", Noe Hill. Accessed September 8th, 2023. https://noehill.com/sacramento/nat1980000835.asp.

"Sacramento Federal Building — Downtown Sacramento", U.S. General Services Administration. Accessed September 9th, 2023. https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/regions/region-9-pacific-rim/buildings-and-facilities/california/sacramento-federal-building-downtown-sacramento.

"United States Post Office, Courthouse, and Federal Building: Nomination Form, National Register of Historic Places", National Archives. November 2nd, 1979. Accessed September 8th, 2023. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123860680.