Historical Context

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Map 1: Location of three historic
General Services Administration buildings

As of 2008, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) owned approximately 1,600 buildings across the country. Almost 300 of those 1,600 properties have been listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register is the nation’s official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects worthy of preservation. Listed properties are valued for their significance in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture. GSA’s properties listed in the National Register range from modest 19th-century custom houses to grand turn-of-the-century classical buildings to stately Depression-era buildings. Three of GSA’s historic buildings are the Pioneer Courthouse in Portland, Oregon (1869-75); the Byron R. White U.S. Courthouse in Denver, Colorado (1910-16); and the Gene Snyder U.S. Courthouse and Custom House in Louisville, Kentucky (1931-32). These buildings continue to house the offices of the federal government and still serve important roles in their communities.

Questions for Map 1

1. Based on information found in Setting the Stage, what are some of the functions that federal buildings were and are built to house? Why would these buildings need to be located in cities and towns throughout the country as opposed to only in the nation’s capital?

2. Why might so many of GSA’s historic buildings be considered important enough for listing in the National Register of Historic Places?

3. Locate the three buildings. In what part of the country is each building located? When was each structure built? What do the official names of the buildings indicate about their use?

* The image on this screen has a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and may print poorly. You can obtain a larger version of Map 1.