Great building with tons of history and character.... also where I had to go to court.....This building is AMAZING...I had to go here today for court..so I was so excited to able to enter the building.
There is a historical market:
The cornerstone was laid Sept. 19, 1877, by President Rutherford B. Hayes
on the first visit of a president to the South since the Civil War.
Opened in 1882 at 701 Broadway, it originally housed the city's post office on the ground floor. The federal Treasury Department offices were on the second, and Justice Department and courtrooms on the third
I went a little early so I could walk around the building and take some really nice photos of this building..The character of the Architecture reminds me of Victorian Artistry..
Additional Historical information I found on the internet about this building:
A beautiful, stately, ornate building that served the Nashville area for almost a century before being cast aside, the Customs House is a reminder of what government can do right with architecture. It is one of the finest pieces of Victorian architecture in Tennessee and was abuzz with activity until the late 20th century when the United States government decided it didn't want the building anymore. Fortunately, the Nashville Metropolitan Government did, and took possession of the building for redevelopment.
1877 - The cornerstone of this building is laid by President Hayes.
1882 - The clock tower is completed.
1903 - The rear portion of the building is completed.
1916 - The wings of the building are completed.
1972 - The building is added to the National Register of Historic Places.
1979 - Ownership is transferred from the federal government to the local government.
When President Rutherford B. Hayes laid the cornerstone of the Customs House on September 19, 1877, it symbolized the end of Southern Reconstruction after the Civil War. Approval for a federal building dates to 1856, but construction delays and the Civil War caused Nashville to wait for more than twenty years for a facility to house federal courts, customs, and post office. Treasury architect William Appleton Potter designed this grand example of the Victorian Gothic style. From its massive yet ornate stone block a central clock tower soars. The many rich details, such as the Gothic lancet windows and a deeply inset triple-arch entrance, make this an exceptional example of Victorian Gothic architecture. In the 1990s the Customs House was declared surplus property by the federal government and was turned over to Metro Nashville government which worked toward its renovation and reuse. The building is now leased from the city by a private firm which renovated its interior and leases the space to office tenants - a significant milestone in historic preservation in Nashville.
I am not sure if everyone is interested in the historical aspect of the building, this surplus Federal Property is now owned by Nashville Metro. I hope it is NEVER DESTROYED... read more