Building Description U. S. Courthouse & Post Office, La Crosse Wisconsin
The original building of 1888-1889 is three stories and measures 112' on the west elevation, including the tower, 106' on the east elevation, 63' on the south elevation, including the tower, and 59' on the north elevation. The tower on the southwest corner is 20' square and rises approximately 112' above the sidewalk, measured from the top of the spire. There is a small tower on the southeast corner above the second floor. It is approximately 66' from crest to sidewalk.
The addition of 1910-11 is one story and measures 22' deep. On the second floor this addition is in two parts extending north about 32' from the south end, and south about 38' from the north end.
An extension approximately 74' long was added to the north end of the original building in 1931-33. It is the width of the original building plus the addition on the east side, about 85'.
There were at least four terra-cotta panels on the exterior of the original building. The origin of these panels is unknown. They are not included in the available drawings nor are they mentioned in newspaper accounts of the time, but it is believed that they are contemporary to the original building. All four have been removed from the original building and have been incorporated into the new Post Office under construction. They were examined after being removed from the wall and no names or dates were discovered.
Dragon: This panel was on the third floor gable on the west elevation. It is 2'3" high and 14' long. The design shows a dragon-like creature attacking a snake. Their bodies are intertwined and change into acanthus leaf decoration. The panel is identified by the following inscription "sm #67." This may relate to the order number of the contract.
Beast: This panel was originally located on the first floor level of the east end of the south elevation. It shows a beast with the head of a lion, body of a lizard or alligator, and it has large wings. It is 42" high and 27" wide and is divided into two sections. This panel has no identification number.
Postal Union: This panel was originally located on the second floor level of the east end of the south elevation, beneath the paired windows in the short tower. It is 6'6" long and 5'4" high. The panel shows a ship in the upper left hand side, with "...Sal Postal Union" on the side of it , a childlike figure is carrying a bag, another is climbing a telephone pole from which hang long wires, another holds a stamping device while reaching into a stack of papers with the other hand and, on the right hand side, a cart with "U S Mail" on its side disappears behind a tree. A total of ten childlike figures are used in various scenes on this panel. The identification number of this panel is "594E#15sm103." The arrangement of the five sections of this panel was indicated by the numbers 1-5 enclosed within a triangle.
Justice: This panel was located on the second level of the south end of the east wall, directly around the corner from the Postal Union panel. It is 6'6" long and 514" high. In the center stand two women; the older one carries a sword with which she has vanquished a falling male figure that seems to clutch a handful of snakes. In the upper left corner, a winged child carries a balance scale and in the upper right corner a similar child carries a mirror. The identification number is 694E#17sm85.
Interior
The basement of the original building contained toilet facilities as well as various rooms whose original usage was unspecified. The 1910-11 addition contained a stairway, toilets and a fuel storage room. At this time, the toilet in the original part of the building was removed. The 1931-33 addition contained a new boiler room, fuel room, toilets, and storage space. Alterations in the toilets of 1910-11 were made, the chimney was moved, openings were closed up and new ones cut, the basement stairs in the 1910-11 addition were removed and the stairway at the north end of the original building basement was removed.
The first floor of the 1889 building originally contained a large work room for sorting mail, a money order department, public lobby, the main stairway, office of the United States Customs Department, and offices for the Post Master and assistant Post Master. The Post Master's office contained a private toilet and a vault for receipts. Another vault adjoined the money order area. There was a lookout station above the vault where the Post Master could oversee the handling of mail.
The 1910-11 addition added more floor space to the sorting room and may have contained new offices for the Post Master. The elevator located at the second bay east of the tower on the south wall was added at this time on the interior.
The 1931-33 addition added more general work space and increased the public lobby space. Numerous alterations of the earlier building and its addition were made at this time. A new screen and postal boxes were built in the lobby, thereby altering the original circulation space. A lookout gallery was built over the sorting rooms to allow supervision of workers.
On the second floor the northern 38' of the building (corresponding to the gable roof section in the west front of the present building) was the room used for the Circuit and District courts. A corridor extends from the center of this room to the stairway in the southeast corner of the building. On the east side of the corridor were the Clerk of Court and the Land Office. The United States Customs Office occupied the southwest corner and the tower rooms.
The second floor of the 1910-11 addition was not continuous across the entire building. The southern end of this addition was the Postal Inspector's Office and the northern end was composed of several rooms behind the courtroom. The toilets of 1889 were altered during this addition.
The second floor was extensively altered during the 1931-33 addition. The original corridor was continued through the old courtroom into the new addition. A new court room was built to the east of the corridor and four offices were built on the west side of the corridor. Most offices were completely remodeled. All floors are wood except the corridor, which has a terrazzo floor. The walls and ceilings are plastered.
The third floor of the original building has a corridor running the entire length of the building north and south. Above the original courtroom on the east side of the corridor was the Petit Jury Room and a toilet, next were offices for the Department of Internal Revenue. Above the court room on the west side of the corridor was the Grand Jury Room, then the Marine Hospital Services and the Signal Service. The tower room, on the third floor, never seems to have been used for anything but storage. It contains a stair leading to the landing at the top of the tower.
The third floor was not originally a full story. In 1931, the original mansard roof of the 1889 building was changed and the existing dormer windows were enclosed as the outer walls of the third story were built. The ceiling of the original court room extended above the level of the third floor, requiring steps to provide access to those rooms on the third floor above the court room. During the remodeling of the original courtroom, this ceiling was lowered to conform to existing heights of rooms. These remodeled rooms above the old court room of 1889 contained offices, toilets and the Grand Jury room. The other offices on this floor were replastered and other minor changes were made. The north end of the 1931 addition contained offices for the United States Commissioner and a Probation Officer with a stairway in the northwest corner. There were several unnamed offices on the west side of the corridor.
The main stair of the 1889 building is an open-well rectangular stair with a landing between each floor. There is an elaborate, heavy newell post carved with floral motifs and strigil ornamentation. There are two balusters per step on the open-string stair. The balusters have carved strigil ornamentation alternating with blocks.
