James A. Farley Building

The James A. Farley Building is a grand building in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It was built between 1911 and 1914 by the famous architects McKim, Mead & White in a style called Beaux-Arts. It used to be the main post office for the whole city.

The building has a big and beautiful front with tall columns called a Corinthian colonnade. On the wall above the columns, you can see words that describe what the post office is all about: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." Inside the ceiling of this area are designs from ten important countries from that time.

Originally called the Pennsylvania Terminal, the building was renamed a few times. In 1982, it was named after James Farley, who was the 53rd postmaster general of the United States. Today, part of the building is used as the Moynihan Train Hall where people can catch trains, and some office space is used by Meta. The building is very important to the city and was made a New York City designated landmark in 1966 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Site

The James A. Farley Building stands on the west side of Eighth Avenue, right across from Pennsylvania Station and Madison Square Garden. It is located at 421 Eighth Avenue in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The building spans two full city blocks, covering an area of 8 acres (32,000 m²). It is bounded by Eighth Avenue to the east, 31st Street to the south, Ninth Avenue to the west, and 33rd Street to the north. The site stretches 455 feet (139 m) along Eighth and Ninth Avenues and 800 feet (240 m) along 31st and 33rd Streets.

Architecture

The Farley Building has two parts: the old post office building finished in 1914 and a western annex finished in 1935. The original building was designed by the famous architects McKim, Mead & White, who also designed the nearby original Pennsylvania Station in the same grand Beaux-Arts style. William Mitchell Kendall was the main architect for the design, and the same firm also designed the annex.

The building has a strong and impressive look with tall columns and steps leading up to it. There are special designs and carvings on the outside, including important names and symbols from different countries that helped with mail delivery long ago. Inside, there is a large open space called Moynihan Train Hall, which is used by Amtrak for passengers to wait, buy tickets, and more. The hall has bright lights from a big glass ceiling above.

History

Construction

A big post office in Midtown Manhattan was planned in the late 1890s. In 1903, the Pennsylvania Railroad suggested building a post office on 8th Avenue across from the station. The U.S. government agreed in 1903 and started planning what would become the Farley Building. There was some worry that the government would only own space in the air above the railroad tracks. Despite this, they bought the land by June 1906 and took control in January 1907.

Architects McKim, Mead & White were chosen in 1908. By then, work on the railroad tracks was already starting. The building’s cost was first set at $2.5 million, but later got another $1 million. The post office opened its doors on September 5, 1914. It was called the Pennsylvania Terminal at first, but later became the city’s main post office.

Operation as post office

Opening and early years

When it opened, the post office was huge, with lots of space inside. It was made of pink granite, steel, and bricks. It became very busy quickly.

Expansion

In the 1930s, the post office was made bigger. A new part was added between 1932 and 1934. This new section included a very big beam that stretched across the railroad tracks. The building was renamed the James A. Farley Building in 1982 to honor the postmaster general who helped expand it.

Late 20th century

The building became a famous landmark in 1966 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. In the 1990s, plans started to rebuild a copy of the old Penn Station, which had been lost many years before.

Early 21st century

After the events of September 11, 2001, the Farley Building helped keep mail service running. In 2006, New York state bought the building. It was used for events like fashion shows and movie premieres before it was changed again.

Reuse

Main article: Moynihan Train Hall

Part of the Farley Building was turned into a new train station called Moynihan Train Hall, which opened in 2021. This new station helps connect people to trains and subways. The building is now also used for office space.