William R. Cotter Federal Building
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U. S. Post Office and Federal Building
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East elevation, 2009
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| Location | 135-149 High St., Hartford, Connecticut |
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| Coordinates | 41°46′11″N 72°40′50″W / 41.76972°N 72.68056°WCoordinates: 41°46′11″N 72°40′50″W / 41.76972°N 72.68056°W |
| Area | 1.7 acres (0.69 ha) |
| Built | 1931 |
| Architect | Malmfeldt, Adams & Prentice |
| Architectural style | Neo Classical, Art Deco, Stripped Classical |
| NRHP Reference # | 81000623 |
| Added to NRHP | October 19, 1981 |
The William R. Cotter Federal Building is a historic post office, courthouse, and federal office building located at 135-149 High Street in Hartford, Connecticut. It was the courthouse for United States District Court for the District of Connecticut until 1963.
In 1882, the federal government completed construction of Hartford's first permanent post office building. By the 1920s, however, Hartford residents were campaigning for a new postal building to replace the overcrowded Second Empire-style structure. In 1928, the government selected a site for the new building, and two years later contracted the local architectural firm of Malmfeldt, Adams, & Prentice to design the building. Although the Public Buildings Act of 1926 authorized the Office of the Supervising Architect of the U.S. Treasury to hire private architects to design federal buildings, the Hartford project was one of the few times that the Act was actually invoked.
Construction commenced in 1931. On April 14, 1932, citizens and officials gathered for a cornerstone laying ceremony, and construction was completed the following year. The new building originally served as a post office, courthouse, and office building. It is one of Hartford's most notable examples of the Neoclassical architectural style, which was commonly used for public buildings during the early twentieth century. Architectural Forum cited the building as an example for private architects to follow when completing Public Works Administration commissions.
Major interior renovations to the federal building occurred in 1964 and 1978 after the courts and post office vacated the location. In 1982, the federal government renamed the building to honor Congressman William R. Cotter, who represented the First District of Connecticut from 1971 until his death in 1981. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 and currently houses various federal offices.
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