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U.S. Post Office and Courthouse
Brooklyn, NY

Original architect of master plan
  • Mifflin Bell (1892 Building)
  • James A. Wetmore (1933 Building)
Building owner
General Services Administration

In collaboration with

Building description
The Brooklyn General Post Office and Courthouse consists of two buildings. The main facade of the original 1892 portion of the building facing Johnston Street was designed in the Romanesque Revival style and is clad entirely in Bodwell Blue granite from Vinalhaven, ME. The seven-story Romanesque Revival 1933 addition fills the rest of the city block bordered by Tillary Street to the north, Adams Street to the east and Cadman Plaza to the west. On the 1933 building, granite from Stonington, ME is used as cladding on the first floor, terra cotta with granite window surrounds is used on the second floor and the upper floors are clad entirely in terra cotta. The glazed terra cotta on the 1933 addition was manufactured by the Federal Seaboard Terra Cotta Corporation in Woodbridge, NJ to match the granite of the 1892 Building.

Scope of work
  • Acted as exterior envelope consultant for the duration of the project.
  • Completed three separate invedtigations of the façade, documenting and quantifying conditions and, eventually, planned repairs.
  • Inspected and documented façade probes.
  • Completed two public safety inspections during the course of the design process.

"Vertical Access was an integral part of the Goody Clancy team from the proposal stage, during the interview, and most importantly through the design phase. Their ingenious TPAS system and knowledgeable team of riggers, engineers and conservators, combined with the unobtrusive inspection techniques necessary for a fully occupied building, made them the only choice for the project." - Lisa Howe, Goody Clancy