George W. Andrews Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, Opelika, AL
Location: 701 Avenue A, Opelika, AL 36104
The George W. Andrews Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Opelika was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on November 18, 1976. The building was nominated at the state and local levels under Criterion C for Architecture as a good example of a federal government building designed by the Office of the Supervising Architect in the Neo-Classical Revival style with elements of the Italian Renaissance Revival style. The buildings period of significance is from 1900 to 1924 (U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1976).
In the late 1890s classical styles began to gain favor within the Office of the Supervising Architect as the preferred motif befitting the stature and authority of federal architecture. The return to academic classicism became a popular national trend within the architectural profession following the display of the Beaux-Arts architecture during the 1893 Worlds Columbian Exposition in Chicago. This change in style coincided with a declining interest in the picturesque design of the Gothic, Second Empire, and Romanesque styles, which became commonly associated with the Victorian Era and more European ideals. In contrast, the orderliness of classical architecture was viewed as modern, but also hearkened back to the countrys revolutionary past (Lee 2000:165, 191). The use of Beaux Arts, Neo-Classical, and Italian Renaissance Revival styles for public building designs became more prominent during the first decade of the twentieth century under supervising architect James Knox Taylor, who would often recycle designs of similar building types for use in different cities, making only slight modifications to account for local tastes and site requirements (Bruns 1998:80-81). Taylors successors in the Office of the Supervising Architect, Oscar Wenderoth and James A. Wetmore, would continue to employ neo-classical designs for federal construction projects through the 1920s.
In 1984, The George W. Andrews Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse was also included as a contributing property to the Railroad Avenue Historic District. The National Register Historic District was nominated at the local level under Criterion A in the areas of Commerce and Transportation and Criterion C for Architecture. The district contains 71 buildings within approximately 282 acres bounded by 7th and 10th streets, 1st Avenue, and Avenue B in Opelika.
Facts
- Architect: James A. Wetmore
- Construction Dates: 1918
- GSA Building Number: AL0046ZZ
- Landmark Status: National Register Listed