Harold D. Donohue Federal Building and United States Courthouse
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U.S. Post Office and Courthouse
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| Location |
595 Main Street Worcester, Massachusetts |
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| Coordinates | 42°15′38″N 71°48′14″W / 42.26056°N 71.80389°WCoordinates: 42°15′38″N 71°48′14″W / 42.26056°N 71.80389°W |
| Built | 1931 |
| Architect | Simon, Louis A. |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP Reference # | 11000161 |
| Added to NRHP | April 8, 2011 |
595 Main Street
The Harold D. Donohue Federal Building and United States Courthouse, formerly known as the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts located in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Established in 1722, Worcester remained a relatively small but prosperous village until the 1835 construction of the Boston & Worcester Railroad. The railroad established the town as an important commercial and industrial hub, and businesses burgeoned. In 1848, as a result of rapid growth, Worcester was incorporated as a city. The earliest postal facilities in Worcester were located in postmasters' homes. In 1897, a post office was constructed on the site of the present building. As Worcester expanded in the twentieth century, it needed a courthouse and federal office space in addition to a larger post office building. Officials decided to construct a single building to meet all of those needs. Disputes arose over the selection of a site that was appropriate for a prominent federal building yet situated in a convenient location within the commercial district. Ultimately, the 1897 post office building was demolished and the site utilized for the current building, which would house the first and only presence of the United States District Court in Worcester.
The present building was constructed from 1930 to 1931 with funding made available through the Public Buildings Act of 1926. The design was approved by Louis A. Simon in the office of Acting Supervising Architect of the Treasury James A. Wetmore. The Murch Brothers Construction Company of St. Louis, Missouri, completed the construction for a cost of $670,000 plus an additional $37,747 for the installation of Otis Elevation Company elevators. The building officially opened in January 1932.
In 1987, the building was renamed for Harold D. Donohue, a U.S. Representative and World War II veteran who served in the House from 1947 to 1974. Federal Square, which fronts the northeast elevation of the building, was constructed in 1991. In 1993, the U.S. Post Office left the building and the interior space was reconfigured to accommodate the needs of the court.
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