United States Post Office Building (Selma, Alabama) Explained
The U.S. Post Office Building in Selma, Alabama, also known as the Federal Building or United States Courthouse.
Architecture and history
The Beaux-Arts-style building was constructed in 1909 and designed by architects and engineers in the Office of the Supervising Architect under James Knox Taylor. It was built to house facilities of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama, the United States Post Office and other federal agencies. In 1928 a one-story addition was added to the rear of the building, and the post office later moved to a new building on the other side of downtown.[1] [2]
The arch in front of the building was built in 1913 as a memorial to Alabama U.S. Senators John Tyler Morgan and Edmund W. Pettus, both of whom were former Grand Dragons of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan.[3] [4] [5] [6] The design was by Hugh A. Price, a monument designer from Chicago.[2] [7]
It was listed, for its architecture, in the National Register of Historic Places on March 26, 1976.
See also
Notes and References
- Book: Gamble, Robert . Historic architecture in Alabama: A guide to styles and types, 1810-1930 . 2001 . University of Alabama Press . Tuscaloosa . 978-0-8173-1134-6 . 138–145.
- https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/76000322 US Post Office Building NRHP Registration Form
- Book: Davis, Susan Lawrence . Authentic History Ku Klux Klan, 1865–1877 . 1924 . 45, 56, 59 . New York . Internet Archive . registration . "General James H. Clanton of Montgomery was the first Grand Dragon of the Realm of Alabama Ku Klux Klan, and continued in this capacity until his death, when General John T. Morgan was elected in his place, and served until 1876. The Ku Klux Klan in 1877 was led by General Edmund W. Pettus as Grand Dragon of the Realm.".
- Book: Bowers, Claude G. . Claude G. Bowers . The Tragic Era The Revolution After Lincoln . 310 . 1929 . . Cambridge, Massachusetts . Internet Archive . registration . "On his death the mantle [of Ku Klux Klan Grand Dragon] passed to General John T. Morgan, who later became one of the most distinguished of Senators and statesmen.".
- News: . Rogers' Voice and Thad Stevens . . February 4, 1960 . 4 . Montgomery, Alabama . April 19, 2023 . Newspapers.com . . The first leader of the Klan in this state was Gen. James H. Clanton, for whom one of our fine towns is named. And on his death, the leadership passed to Alabama's Gen. John Tyler Morgan..
- News: Svrluga . Susan . Calls to change U. of Alabama building name to honor Harper Lee instead of KKK leader . February 22, 2016 . . Washington, D.C. . April 19, 2023 . [John Tyler Morgan was] a former senator who was a Confederate general and a leader of the Ku Klux Klan..
- Confederate Veteran 21, no. 10 (October, 1913)
