The 1933 Texarkana Post Office and Federal Courthouse, designed by local architects Witt, Seibert and Halsey, was planned in the 1920s when the City Beautiful movement led to the idea that Federal Buildings should be monumental, symbolizing the presence and permanence of government. The building was to serve both Texarkana, Arkansas and Texarkana, Texas. Texans had been upset in the past at being required to practice law in Arkansas, by Arkansas rules, for cases originating in Texas. It was determined by the US Treasury Department that the new building would be built in both states. At the time, State Line Avenue, Texarkana’s main thoroughfare, divided Arkansas from Texas. The desire to build the structure straddling the state line led to the re-routing of State Line Avenue around the building on the northern edge of downtown. The monumental, five-story Beaux Arts structure, combined with its unique position, gives the building an unusual prominence in the city, seemingly towering over the downtown area. #1930 #downtown #federal #Texarkana
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