The Polk County Administration Building on Court Avenue

For over a century, the United States Post Office, located at 111 Court Avenue, has stood as a significant structure in Des Moines. Designed by James Knox Taylor of the United States Treasury Department staff in 1908, construction began in 1909 and the building was completed in 1910 for $488,016.67. It was the first structure the federal government provided as part of the City Beautiful Movement project in the city of Des Moines.

As the second building constructed in the Civic Center district, the post office moved its operations into the building in the spring of 1910. The building was constructed using a steel frame faced with limestone and built on a granite base. It features large semi-circular arched windows, tall smooth columns, a simple entablature, and classical detail. It is similar in design to the Municipal Court Building across the Des Moines River, which was designed and built at the same time.

In 1971, the post office moved to a larger facility, and the building was eventually acquired by Polk County in the late 1970s. The county renovated the structure for use as an office building, which was designed by the Des Moines architectural firm of Woodburn & O'Neil. The north lobby of the building is preserved and used as a public place for art and historical exhibits, known as the Polk County Heritage Gallery.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons