Federal Building (Laconia, New Hampshire)

The former Federal Building in Laconia, New Hampshire, is located at 719 Main Street. It is a two-story brick Classical Revival structure designed by Louis A. Simon and built 1939-40. Originally built to house the offices of the White Mountain National Forest, it now houses a regional social services agency. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.[1]

Federal Building
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Federal Building
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Location	719 Main St., Laconia, New Hampshire
Coordinates	43°31′50″N 71°28′17″W
Built	1939 (1939)
Architect	Simon, Louis
Architectural style	Classical Revival
NRHP reference No.	11000766[1]
Added to NRHP	October 25, 2011

Description and history

Laconia's former Federal Building is located on the north side of downtown Laconia, on the east side of Main Street just north of its junction with the multiuse Winnisquam Trail. It is a two-story structure, built originally in a T-shape with a frame of steel and concrete. Its exterior is finished with red brick and granite, a stripped Classical Revival style. The main facade is divided into three sections, with a slightly projecting central entrance section. Its three bays are articulated by wide granite pilasters, with additional pilasters at the corners. They rise to an entablature bearing the legend "United States Department of Agriculture", and a shallow pedimented gable. Windows in the outer sections have granite sills, and the building corners have granite quoins.[2]

The structure was designed by Louis A. Simon, the Supervising Architect of the United States Treasury Department, and was built in 1939-40. It was expanded to an H shape with a sympathetic addition in 1966. It originally housed the administrative offices of the White Mountain National Forest, a division of the United States Forest Service and the United States Department of Agriculture. The building's interior reflects this intended use, with a pair of murals on forestry-related themes in its lobby, which were executed by Philip Guston and Musa McKim.[2]

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Belknap County, New Hampshire

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. "Federal Building, Laconia, New Hampshire". US General Services Administration. Retrieved 2014-08-06.