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Land at this site was purchased in 1907 from St. Philip's Episcopal Church for a new post office for Palestine. Architects Deacon Armiger and Dunplap, under the supervision of U. S. Treasury architect James Knox Taylor, drew the plans, and construction took place between 1911 and 1913. Located in Palestine's commercial district, the new post office building was an imposing addition to the downtown and prominently affirmed the presence of the federal government in Palestine. Other federal offices also were located in the building, including the Selective Service office and the National Weather Bureau's reading station. The Palestine post office vacated the building in 1962; thereafter, until 1987, it was used solely for the offices of various federal agencies. After the General Services Administration declared the building surplus to its needs, the county of Anderson, in search of additional space for county workers, stepped in to preserve the historic building. The property transfer to Anderson County took place in 1990. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, the Palestine Post Office and Federal Building remains a significant part of Palestine's architectural heritage. (2001) |
