City officials, including Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman and Ward 5 Councilman Ricki Y. Barlow, recently unwrapped the old downtown post office to signify the beginning of the transformation of the building into a museum. The building has been shrouded in plastic for the last several months during an exterior window rehabilitation project. The plastic was installed to protect the building from the elements while the windows were removed and replaced.

Work included removing exterior window sashes, which were sent to Denver to be refinished, stained and painted to match the historical finishes; window frames and cast iron spandrel panels were stained and painted to match the historical finishes. Work also included repairing historical trim, removing the counter weights and chains and making windows operable. New glass was also installed to replace broken or mismatched glass. Funding for this phase of the project was provided by the State Historic Preservation Office through a fund from the National Park Service, the State Commission for Cultural Affairs and the Commission for the Las Vegas Centennial.

Now that the exterior work has been completed, work on the interior of the building will begin. The first phase is interior demolition, which includes salvaging the historical materials such as marble panels, doors, wood paneling, etc. The next phase includes retrofitting the building so it meets present earthquake codes.

Future phases, which will be completed as funds become available, will include transforming the building into a museum, which is expected to open sometime in 2009.

Careful maintenance and historic oversight will ensure that the building’s unique history and architecture are preserved for generations to come. The building opened in 1933 as part of a massive government building effort aligned with the construction of Hoover Dam. The building served as the local federal building, housing courtrooms and a post office.   

The old Post Office is located at 300 Stewart Ave.