View source for James A. Farley Building

{{Short description|Historic post office in Manhattan, New York}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NRHP
| name = U.S. General Post Office
| nrhp_type = nrhp
| image = James A. Farley Building (51878872365).jpg
| caption =
| location = 8th Ave. between 31st and 33rd Sts., [[New York, New York]]
| coordinates = {{coord|40|45|04|N|73|59|43|W|display=inline,title}}
| district_map = {{Maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=250|frame-height=250|zoom=14|type=point|marker=|title=James A. Farley Building}}
| architect = [[McKim, Mead, and White]]
| architecture = [[Beaux-Arts architecture|Beaux-Arts]]
| built = 1911–1914
| added = January 29, 1973
| area = 8 acres
| refnum = 73002257<ref name="nris" />
| designated_other2_name = New York City Landmark
| designated_other2_date = May 17, 1966
| designated_other2_abbr = NYCL
| designated_other2_link = New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
| designated_other2_number = 0232
| designated_other2_color = #ffe978
| designated_other1 = New York State Register of Historic Places
| designated_other1_num_position = bottom
| designated_other1_number = 06101.000007<ref name="Cultural Resource Information System"/>
| designated_other1_abbr = NYSRHP
| designated_other1_date = June 23, 1980<ref name="Cultural Resource Information System">{{cite web | title=Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS) | publisher=[[New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation]] | date=November 7, 2014 | url=https://cris.parks.ny.gov/ | access-date=July 20, 2023}}</ref>
}}
The '''James A. Farley Building''' (formerly '''Pennsylvania Terminal''' and the '''U.S. General Post Office''') is a mixed-use structure in [[Midtown Manhattan]], New York City, which formerly served as the city's main [[United States Postal Service]] (USPS) branch. Designed by [[McKim, Mead & White]] in the [[Beaux-Arts architecture|Beaux-Arts]] style, the structure was built between 1911 and 1914, with an annex constructed between 1932 and 1935. The Farley Building, at 421 Eighth Avenue between [[31st Street (Manhattan)|31st Street]] and [[33rd Street (Manhattan)|33rd Street]] in [[Midtown Manhattan]], faces [[Pennsylvania Station (New York City)|Pennsylvania Station]] and [[Madison Square Garden]] to the east.

The main [[facade]] of the Farley Building (over 8th Avenue) features a [[Corinthian order|Corinthian colonnade]] finishing at a pavilion on each end. The imposing design was meant to match that of the [[Pennsylvania Station (1910–1963)|original Pennsylvania Station]] across the street. An [[entablature]] above the colonnade bears the [[United States Postal Service creed]]: "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." The colonnade's inner ceiling is decorated with the crests or emblems of ten major nations that existed at the building's completion. The remaining three facades have a similar but simpler design.

The James A. Farley Building was known as the Pennsylvania Terminal until 1918, when it was renamed the General Post Office Building. The building was made a [[New York City designated landmark]] in 1966 and was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1973. It was officially renamed in 1982 in honor of [[James Farley]] who was the nation's 53rd [[United States Postmaster General|postmaster general]] and served from 1933 to 1940. The building was sold to the New York government in 2006. The interior space that once housed the main mail sorting room now houses the [[Moynihan Train Hall]] since 2021. Office space in the building was leased to [[Meta Platforms, Inc.|Meta]] in 2020.

==Site==
The building fronts on the west side of Eighth Avenue, across from [[Pennsylvania Station (New York City)|Pennsylvania Station]] and [[Madison Square Garden]]. It is at 421 [[Eighth Avenue (Manhattan)|Eighth Avenue]] in the [[borough (New York City)|New York City borough]] of [[Manhattan]]. The site is bounded by Eighth Avenue to the east, [[31st Street (Manhattan)|31st Street]] to the south, [[Ninth Avenue (Manhattan)|Ninth Avenue]] to the west, and [[33rd Street (Manhattan)|33rd Street]] to the north.<ref>{{Cite web|title=NYCityMap|url=http://maps.nyc.gov/|access-date=March 20, 2020|website=NYC.gov|publisher=[[New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications]]}}</ref> The Farley Building occupies two full city blocks, an {{convert|8|acre|m2|adj=on}} footprint straddling the tracks of the [[Northeast Corridor]] and the Farley Corridor (sub-district B) in western [[Midtown Manhattan]].<ref>{{cite web|title=No. 7 Subway Extension-Hudson Yards Rezoning and Development Program|url=http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/hyards/hy_chap11_g1_fgeis_final.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304102819/http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/hyards/hy_chap11_g1_fgeis_final.pdf|archive-date=March 4, 2016|access-date=July 26, 2020|publisher=City of New York}}</ref> The building occupies a [[land lot]] measuring {{convert|455|ft}} along Eighth and Ninth Avenues, and {{convert|800|ft}} along 31st and 33rd Streets. According to the [[New York City Department of City Planning]], it has a lot area of {{convert|364,000|ft2}} and a [[gross floor area]] of {{convert|1,378,125|ft2}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://zola.planning.nyc.gov/l/lot/1/755/40#14.87/40.75152/-73.98985|title=372 9 Avenue, 10001|publisher=[[New York City Department of City Planning]]|access-date=January 1, 2021}}</ref>

==Architecture==
The Farley Building consists of the old general post office building, completed in 1914, and its western annex, completed in 1935. The original building was designed by the firm of [[McKim, Mead & White]], who also designed the adjacent [[Pennsylvania Station (1910–1963)|original Pennsylvania Station]] in the same [[Beaux-Arts architecture|Beaux-Arts style]].<ref name="NYCL-0232" /><ref name="nris" />{{rp|3}}<ref>{{cite aia5|page=276}}</ref> [[William M. Kendall|William Mitchell Kendall]] was the lead architect on the design.<ref name="landmarks498">{{cite landmarks|page=498}}</ref> The firm also designed the annex.<ref name="nyt19301217">{{Cite news|date=December 17, 1930|title=Postoffice Architects.; Designers for New $7,000,000 Annex Have Been Chosen|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1930/12/17/archives/postoffice-architects-designers-for-new-7000000-annex-have-been.html|access-date=January 1, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

=== Facade ===
[[File:NYC-broadway-post-office-detail.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.0|A carefully detailed [[Corinthian order|Corinthian colonnade]] under the inspirational inscription]]

The four-story structure consists of granite [[ashlar]] cladding around a steel-frame superstructure.<ref name="nris" />{{rp|2}} The monumental facade on [[Eighth Avenue (Manhattan)|Eighth Avenue]] was conceived as a [[Corinthian order|Corinthian colonnade]], composed of twenty {{Convert|53|ft||-tall|abbr=|adj=mid}} columns. The imposing design was meant to match the strength of the colonnade of McKim, Mead, and White's original Pennsylvania Station across Eighth Avenue, which originally faced the General Post Office Building. A flight of 31 steps, extending across the full length of the colonnade, provides access from the street to the main floor.<ref name="NYCL-0232" /><ref name="nris" />{{rp|2}} The colonnade is braced at the end by two square pavilions, each capped with a low saucer dome, expressed on the exterior as a low stepped pyramid.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a|name=United States General Post Office|refnum=73002257}}</ref>{{Rp|2}}

An entablature above the colonnade bears the inscription "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds". The sentence is taken from [[Herodotus]]' ''[[Histories (Herodotus)|Histories]]'' (Book 8, Ch. 98) and describes the faithful service of the [[Achaemenid Empire|Persian]] system of mounted postal messengers under [[Xerxes I of Persia]].<ref name="NYCL-0232" /><ref name="nris" />{{rp|2}}<ref name="landmarks498" /> It was selected by the [[United States Department of the Treasury]] in 1912.<ref>{{Cite news|date=October 27, 1912|title=Herodotus for Postman; Apt Quotation to Adorn Eighth Avenue Entrance to Post Office|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1912/10/27/archives/herodotus-for-postman-apt-quotation-to-adorn-eighth-avenue-entrance.html|access-date=January 1, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The inscription is frequently mistaken as the official motto of the [[United States Postal Service]] (USPS) and has become known as the [[United States Postal Service creed]].<ref>{{cite web|date=January 5, 1978|title=Frequently Asked Questions|url=https://postalmuseum.si.edu/about/frequently-asked-questions/index.html#history10|access-date=December 31, 2020|website=National Postal Museum|quote=Actually, the U.S. Postal Service does not have an official motto. The phrase which most people associate with the postal office is that which is engraved on the outside of the James A. Farley Post Office building...|archive-date=November 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116220440/https://postalmuseum.si.edu/about/frequently-asked-questions/index.html#history10|url-status=dead}}</ref> At the tops of the end pavilions, names of various figures have been carved, such as [[Cardinal Richelieu]], who were deemed important to the history of postal delivery in the Western world.<ref>{{cite web|date=July 24, 2013|title=Daily What?! Cardinal Richelieu's Name on the James A. Farley Post Office|url=https://untappedcities.com/2013/07/24/daily-what-cardinal-richelieu-name-on-james-a-farley-moynihan-station-post-office/|access-date=December 31, 2020|website=Untapped New York}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Schneider|first=Daniel B.|date=June 3, 2001|title=F.y.i.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/03/nyregion/fyi-597147.html|access-date=December 31, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=American Philatelic Association|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FIntAAAAMAAJ|title=The American Philatelist|author2=American Philatelic Society|publisher=American Philatelic Association|year=1934|page=578|access-date=December 31, 2020|issue=v. 48}}</ref>

The facades along 31st and 33rd Streets contain colonnades with flat [[pilaster]]s.<ref name="NYCL-0232" /> These sides are divided into seven sections: a tripartite central pavilion with archways, flanked on either side by a row of pilasters and a square end pavilion. The Ninth Avenue side contains a similar row of flat pilasters.<ref name="nris" />{{rp|2}} There are three arches at the center of the Ninth Avenue facade, which were used for truck deliveries.<ref name="nyt19330302">{{cite news|date=March 2, 1933|title=Proposed Addition to the New York General Postoffice.|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1933/03/02/archives/proposed-addition-to-the-new-york-general-postoffice.html|access-date=January 4, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The roof is mostly flat, aside from the pyramidal roofs of the end pavilions. A sill runs above the third story.<ref name="nris" />{{rp|2}} Until 1994, the fourth story was crowned by an ornate stone [[cornice]].<ref name="nyt19940123" /> The roof of the building is about {{convert|101|ft}} above the curb.<ref name="nyt19131228">{{Cite news|date=December 28, 1913|title=New Post Office Is Ready to Open; Large Part of Christmas Mail Handled in $6,000,000 Granite Building. Covers Two City Blocks Has No Foundations, But Rests on Steel Beams Over Pennsylvania Railroad Tracks|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1913/12/28/archives/new-post-office-is-ready-to-open-large-part-of-christmas-mail.html|access-date=December 31, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

The main floor, {{Convert|22|ft||abbr=}} above ground level, is surrounded by a dry [[moat]], providing light and air to workspaces below.<ref name="NYCL-0232" /> The moats ran along 31st and 33rd Streets and along the corners at Eighth Avenue; they originally featured glass skylights overlooking the tracks. The moats were replaced with concrete slabs by the late 20th century.<ref name="EIS-Vol1-1999">{{cite book|url=https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot.gov/files/fra_net/214/pennvolume1.pdf|title=Environmental Assessment Pennsylvania Station Redevelopment Project|date=August 1999|volume=1|publisher=[[Federal Railroad Administration]]; [[United States Department of Transportation]] |access-date=January 1, 2021}}</ref>{{Rp|20}} The moats at the corners at Eighth Avenue were infilled. In 2017, the former moats became entrances to the West End Concourse of [[Moynihan Train Hall]], underneath the Farley Building.<ref>{{cite web|last=Brenzel|first=Kathryn|date=June 15, 2017|title=First Phase of Moynihan Train Hall Project Opens on Eighth Ave.|url=https://therealdeal.com/2017/06/15/first-phase-of-moynihan-train-hall-project-opens-on-eighth-ave/|access-date=December 31, 2020|website=The Real Deal New York}}</ref>

=== Interior ===
[[File:FarleyInterior.JPG|thumb|upright|The front reception hall of the post office|left]]

Inside the Eighth Avenue entrance is a two-story-tall gallery that parallels the colonnaded front. The floors of the gallery were originally paved in various colors of marble, while the walls were made of buff marble and white plaster, with various windows along both sides.<ref name="nyt19131228" /> The painted plaster ceiling of the front reception hall is divided into sections of {{Convert|28|ft||abbr=}} each.<ref name="nyt19131228" /><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Upton|first=Harborough Desmond|year=1917|title=Modern Decorative Plaster Work|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5Jg3AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA52-IA23|journal=The Architectural Forum|issue=v. 26|page=90}}</ref> Each ceiling section is decorated with carved [[national emblem]]s or [[coat of arms|coats of arms]] of ten members of the [[Universal Postal Union|Postal Union]] at the time of the building's construction: the [[United States]], the [[United Kingdom]], the [[German Empire]], the [[French Third Republic]], the [[Russian Empire]], the [[Kingdom of Italy]], the [[Restoration (Spain)|Kingdom of Spain]], [[Belgium]], [[Austria-Hungary]], and the [[Netherlands]]. The French Third Republic was represented by the [[cipher]] "R.F." for ''République Française'' at the time of the Farley Building's opening, as the republic lacked an [[National emblem of France|official national emblem]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Young|first=Michelle|date=July 27, 2017|title=NYC Fun Facts: The Seals in the Ceiling of James A. Farley Post Office Across from Penn Station|url=https://untappedcities.com/2017/07/27/nyc-fun-facts-the-seals-in-the-ceiling-of-james-a-farley-post-office-across-from-penn-station/|access-date=December 31, 2020|website=Untapped New York}}</ref>

Elevators led from the Farley Building to most of Penn Station's platforms. By the end of the 20th century, only the elevator to track 12 was used to deliver mail.<ref name="EIS-Vol1-1999" />{{Rp|20}} In addition, six siding tracks extend west from Penn Station underneath the Farley Building. At the time of the original Penn Station's completion in 1910, these tracks could fit 26 mail cars. There were three subsurface levels provided for mail transport within the building: a basement {{Convert|18|ft||abbr=}} below street level, the tracks {{Convert|50|ft||abbr=}} deep, and a trucking platform {{Convert|72|ft||abbr=}} deep. These connected to the mailing level, which was just above street level. Chutes and conveyor belts connected the levels.<ref>{{Cite news|date=November 22, 1910|title=Mails Handled Fast at the New Station; Government Is Ready to Hook Up Mechanically With the Pennsylvania Station Here|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1910/11/22/archives/mails-handled-fast-at-the-new-station-government-is-ready-to-hook.html|access-date=January 1, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Inside the building is Moynihan Train Hall, designed by [[Skidmore, Owings & Merrill]] (SOM). It consists of {{cvt|255000|ft2}} of space<ref>{{cite web|last=Coburn|first=Jesse|date=December 28, 2020|title=NYC's Moynihan Train Hall a Bright Alternative to Penn Station in 2021|url=https://www.newsday.com/news/new-york/moynihan-train-hall-lirr-penn-station-1.50103548|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=Newsday}}</ref> underneath a {{cvt|92|ft|adj=on}} tall glass [[skylight]].<ref>{{cite web|date=December 27, 2020|title=Moynihan Train Hall Set to Open December 31|url=https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/transit/2020/12/27/moynihan-train-hall-set-to-open-december-31|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=Spectrum News NY1 &#124; New York City}}</ref> The hall also contains {{cvt|120,000|ft2}} of retail space.<ref>{{Cite web|date=December 28, 2020|title=Moynihan Train Hall Will Open This Week After $1.6 Billion Renovation Project, Cuomo Announces|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/newyork/news/2020/12/28/moynihan-train-hall-will-reopen-jan-1-2021.html|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=New York Business Journal}}</ref> Moynihan Train Hall contains passenger facilities for [[Amtrak]], its primary tenant. These include a ticketing and baggage area, a waiting lounge, conference spaces, and a balcony {{cvt|20|ft}} above the hall.<ref>{{cite web|last=Chan|first=Justin|date=January 30, 2019|title=Amtrak Reveals Designs of Customer Space at Moynihan Train Hall by FXCollaborative|url=https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13887-amtrak-reveals-designs-of-customer-space-at-moynihan-train-hall-by-fxcollaborative|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=Architectural Record}}</ref>

==History==

===Construction===
A general post office in Midtown Manhattan had been planned from the late 1890s.<ref name="nyt19080412">{{Cite news|date=April 12, 1908|title=Architects' Plans for New Post Office; Structure Over Tracks of New Pennsylvania Station to Be More Than 400 Feet Wide|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1908/04/12/archives/architects-plans-for-new-post-office-structure-over-tracks-of-new.html|access-date=December 31, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> As part of the planning of [[Pennsylvania Station (1910–1963)|Penn Station]] in the first decade of the 20th century, the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]] (PRR) proposed that the [[United States Post Office Department]] construct a post office on 8th Avenue, across from the station. In February 1903, the U.S. government accepted the PRR's proposal and made plans to construct what would become the Farley Building.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1903/02/25/archives/post-office-sites-selected-by-commission-offers-of-the-pennsylvania.html| title=Post Office Sites Selected by Commission; Offers of the Pennsylvania and New York Central Railroad Companies – $2,000,000 Needed.| date=February 25, 1903| work=The New York Times| access-date=May 22, 2018| language=en-US| issn=0362-4331}}</ref> A [[deed]] was prepared and submitted in 1905 to [[George B. Cortelyou]], the [[Postmaster General of the United States]]. The PRR would construct the tracks and supporting columns under the post office as part of the plan. The site faced opposition from several members of the [[United States Congress]], who expressed concern that the U.S. government would only own "a chunk of space in the air", namely the [[air rights]] above the tracks.<ref>{{Cite news|date=March 9, 1906|title=Pennsylvania Station Post Office Opposed; Plan Held Up by Cortelyou for Concessions from the Road|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1906/03/09/archives/pennsylvania-station-post-office-opposed-plan-held-up-by-cortelyou.html|access-date=December 31, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Concern also stemmed from the planned interior court measuring {{Convert|100|by|150|ft|abbr=}}, which could potentially become a ventilation [[flue]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=March 10, 1906|title=Willcox, Too, Against Proposed Post Office; Local Officials Oppose Site Offered by the Pennsylvania|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1906/03/10/archives/willcox-too-against-proposed-post-office-local-officials-oppose.html|access-date=January 1, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Nonetheless, the land for the post office was acquired by June 1906.<ref>{{Cite news|date=June 29, 1906|title=Terminal Post Office Purchase Completed; Cortelyou Approves the Plans for a Site in Eighth Avenue|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1906/06/29/archives/terminal-post-office-purchase-completed-cortelyou-approves-the.html|access-date=December 31, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The U.S. government took title to the site in January 1907, with an [[easement]] for the PRR allowing trains to use the tracks and platforms underneath.<ref>{{Cite news|date=January 29, 1907|title=Gets Check for $1,660,000.: Pennsylvania Road Paid by Government for New Post Office Site.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1907/01/29/archives/gets-check-for-1660000-pennsylvania-road-paid-by-government-for-new.html|access-date=January 1, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

The architect was selected under the [[Tarsney Act]] of 1893, which permitted the Supervisory Architect to hold an [[architectural design competition]] for U.S. government facilities.<ref>{{cite book|author=Lee|first=Antoinette J.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hjDZz87NF8AC&q=%22James+Knox+Taylor%22&pg=PA197|title=Architects to the Nation: The Rise and Decline of the Supervising Architect's Office|year= 2000|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-512822-2|location=New York}}</ref> Several prominent firms and architects were invited to submit plans in early 1908.<ref name="rer19080125">{{cite magazine|date=January 25, 1908|title=Plans for the New Post Office Building|url=https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/document.php?vol=ldpd_7031148_041&page=ldpd_7031148_041_00000209&no=1|journal=The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide|volume=81|pages=1372|via=[[Columbia University|columbia.edu]]|number=2080}}</ref> Supervisory architect [[James Knox Taylor]] selected McKim, Mead & White for the post office the same year.<ref>{{cite news|date=April 11, 1908|title=White's Firm Selected.: New York Architects Win Competition for Post-Office Building.|page=2|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/144862412|url-access=subscription|access-date=January 1, 2021|issn=0190-8286|id={{ProQuest|144862412}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|date=May 16, 1908|title=Post Office Demonstrates Governmental Expression|url=https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/document.php?vol=ldpd_7031148_041&page=ldpd_7031148_041_00000950&no=2|journal=The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide|volume=81|pages=910|via=[[Columbia University|columbia.edu]]|number=2096}}</ref>{{efn|The other competing firms were [[Carrère and Hastings|Carrere & Hastings]], [[Heins & LaFarge]], [[George B. Post|George B. Post & Sons]], [[Harold Van Buren Magonigle|H. Van Buren Magonigle]], [[Whitfield & King]], [[Kenneth MacKenzie Murchison|Kenneth M. Murchison]] and [[Cass Gilbert]].<ref name="rer19080125" />}} By then, steelwork for the tracks and platforms was already under construction.<ref name="nyt19080412" /> The initial appropriation for the post office building was $2.5 million, but in April 1910, Congress allocated another $1 million for construction.<ref>{{Cite news|date=April 7, 1910|title=Enlarge New Post Office.; Additional $1,000,000 For Building at Pennsylvania Terminal in This City|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1910/04/07/archives/enlarge-new-post-office-additional-1000000-for-building-at.html|access-date=January 1, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The construction of Pennsylvania Station across the street was progressing more quickly. The as-yet-incomplete Penn Station post office saw its first mail, delivered through the mail platform, when the station officially opened on November 27, 1910.<ref>{{Cite news|date=November 27, 1910|title=Pennsylvania Opens Its Great Station; First Regular Train Sent Through the Hudson River Tunnel at Midnight|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1910/11/27/archives/pennsylvania-opens-its-great-station-first-regular-train-sent.html|url-status=live|access-date=May 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411111506/https://www.nytimes.com/1910/11/27/archives/pennsylvania-opens-its-great-station-first-regular-train-sent.html|archive-date=April 11, 2018|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=October 27, 1910|title=Big Tubes To-Day Connect Brooklyn With Entire Country|page=27|work=Brooklyn Daily Eagle|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/66541682/|access-date=January 1, 2021|via=newspapers.com {{open access}}}}</ref> A $2.5 million contract to build the Post Office was awarded to the [[George A. Fuller]] Company in March 1911.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1911/03/11/archives/all-ready-for-work-on-new-post-office-contract-let-to-george-a.html| title=All Ready for Work on New Post Office; Contract Let to George A. Fuller Company and Building to be Done in 23 Months.| date=March 11, 1911| work=The New York Times| access-date=May 24, 2018| language=en-US| issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=March 11, 1911|title=New Post Office for New York|page=16|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/66540139/|access-date=January 1, 2021|issn=0099-9660|via=newspapers.com {{open access}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=March 11, 1911|title=New Postoffice Uptown: Contract Awarded for Building Opposite Pennsylvania Station|page=5|work=New-York Tribune|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/66841614/|access-date=January 4, 2021|via=newspapers.com {{open access}}}}</ref> By December 1913, the post office was already processing second, third, and fourth class mail. ''The New York Times'' characterized the new post office as "not only the largest, but the finest in the world" of its kind.<ref name="nyt19131228" />

=== Operation as post office ===

==== Opening and early years ====
[[File:James Farley Post Office c1912.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|{{c.|1912}}]]
The original monumental structure officially opened on September 5, 1914.<ref>{{Cite news|date=September 6, 1914|title=Morgan Moves Into New Post Office: Transfer Completed After Dark and Building to Be Opened for Business Today|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1914/09/06/archives/morgan-moves-into-new-post-office-transfer-completed-after-dark-and.html|access-date=January 1, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> With this, the [[Long Island Rail Road]]'s mail operations were moved from [[Long Island City]] to the Penn Station post office.<ref>{{cite news|date=August 1, 1914|title=Long Island Railroad Mail: To Be Handled From the Pennsylvania Railroad Station, Meaning Quicker Transfer|page=5|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/66543904/|access-date=January 1, 2021|issn=0099-9660|via=newspapers.com {{open access}}}}</ref> As completed, the Penn Station post office measured {{convert|355|ft}} along Eighth Avenue and {{convert|332|ft}} along the side streets, with {{convert|400000|ft2}} of interior space. The ''Times'' described it as the second largest building in the city behind the original Penn Station and [[Grand Central Terminal]], the post office incorporating some {{convert|165000|ft3}} of pink granite, 18,000 tons of steel, and 7 million bricks.<ref name="nyt19131228" /> The construction of the Penn Station post office spurred the opening of printing businesses in the vicinity.<ref>{{Cite news|date=June 29, 1913|title=Printing Trades Around Penn. Zone; Post Office a Contributing Factor in Creating New Business Centre.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1913/06/29/archives/printing-trades-around-penn-zone-post-office-a-contributing-factor.html|access-date=December 31, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

The post office was known as the Pennsylvania Terminal when it opened; at the time, the city's general post office was still the [[City Hall Post Office and Courthouse (New York City)|City Hall Post Office]] in [[Lower Manhattan]]. Effective July 1, 1918, the Penn Station post office became New York City's general post office.<ref>{{Cite news|date=June 29, 1918|title=New General Post Office.; Thirty-First Street Building Designated as Main Station|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1918/06/29/archives/new-general-post-office-thirtyfirst-street-building-designated-as.html|access-date=January 1, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> By the early 1920s, the General Post Office had become congested, and a U.S. Congressional report in 1923 recommended that it be expanded westward.<ref>{{Cite news|date=February 24, 1923|title=To Double Main Post Office Here; Congress Committee Recommends Use of Pennsylvania Site for $6,000,000 Building.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1923/02/24/archives/to-double-main-post-office-here-congress-committee-recommends-use.html|access-date=January 1, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The U.S. government announced its intention, in 1927, to buy the plot immediately west of the existing post office building.<ref>{{Cite news|date=March 10, 1927|title=Government to Add to Main Postoffice; Authorities Announce Plan to Take Over Adjoining Plot in Ninth Avenue|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1927/03/10/archives/government-to-add-to-main-postoffice-authorities-announce-plan-to.html|access-date=January 4, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==== Expansion ====
The Post Office Department announced an expansion of the General Post Office in 1930. The western part of the block would contain an annex to the main facility, as well as a parcel post station called Morgan Station.<ref>{{cite news|date=April 4, 1930|title=Postoffice Lists $42,000,000 In Expansion Here: 8Th Ave. Annex, Remodeling in Brooklyn, Bronx Concentration Station Named|page=1|work=New York Herald Tribune|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1113134203|url-access=subscription|access-date=January 1, 2021|id={{ProQuest|1113134203}}}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=April 4, 1930|title=$42,000,000 Outlay to Speed City's Mail: Brown Promises Manhattan 2 New Buildings in Program for Metropolitan Area|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1930/04/04/archives/42000000-outlay-to-speed-citys-mail-brown-promises-manhattan-2-new.html|access-date=January 4, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> McKim, Mead & White were rehired for the expansion.<ref name="nyt19301217" /> In April 1931, the Treasury Department bought the western half of the block from the Pennsylvania Railroad for $2.5 million.<ref>{{Cite news|date=April 3, 1931|title=Buy Plot for Annex to Postoffice Here; Federal Officials Present Check for $2,500,000 For Deed to Ninth Avenue Realty|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1931/04/03/archives/buy-plot-for-annex-to-postoffice-here-federal-officials-present.html|access-date=January 1, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The building was expanded between 1932 and 1934 under then-Postmaster General [[James Farley|James A. Farley]].<ref name="EIS-Vol1-1999" />{{Rp|25}} The work involved installing the largest girder in the city's history at the time, a {{convert|152|ST|LT t|adj=on}} girder that stretched {{convert|115|feet}} across the railroad tracks.<ref>{{cite news|date=December 4, 1932|title=Midnight Hoist To Set Up City's Biggest Girder: 152-Ton Beam Up Tomorrow at New Postoffice Over 'Pennsy's Electric Rails Mammoth Girder Awaiting Its Final Move|page=26|work=New York Herald Tribune|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1125441761|url-access=subscription|access-date=January 1, 2021|id={{ProQuest|1125441761}}}}</ref> Foundation work was contracted to James Stewart & Co. and was nearly completed by early 1933.<ref name="nyt19330302" />

The federal government awarded a $4.3 million construction contract to James Stewart & Co. in February 1934 after having unsuccessfully advertised for bids on three occasions over the previous years.<ref>{{Cite news|date=February 27, 1934|title=Stewart Company to Build Postoffice Annex; Starts in Six Weeks on $4,287,700 Contract|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1934/02/27/archives/stewart-company-to-build-postoffice-annex-starts-in-six-weeks-on.html|access-date=January 1, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> During the construction of the annex, Farley's building supply firm, the General Builders Supply Corporation, had received a federal contract under the [[Hoover Administration|Hoover administration]] to provide building materials. Farley was accused by U.S. senator [[Huey Long]] of receiving preferential treatment from the [[Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt|Roosevelt administration]], but the Senate cleared him of any wrongdoing, in what would be known as "The Long-Farley Affair of 1935".<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,754525,00.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111222065026/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,754525,00.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=December 22, 2011| magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]| title=The Congress: Political Feud| date=February 25, 1935| access-date=May 5, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine| jstor=4232557| title=An Administration under Fire: The Long-Farley Affair of 1935| first=Terry L.| last=Jones| date=August 23, 1987| journal=Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association| volume=28| issue=1| pages=5–17}}</ref> The annex opened in December 1935.<ref name="landmarks498" /><ref>{{Cite news|date=December 2, 1935|title=Penn Station Now Using Greatest Mail Facilities|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1935/12/02/archives/penn-station-now-using-greatest-mail-facilities.html|access-date=December 31, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In February 1938, the Treasury awarded a $696,000 contract to O'Driscoll and Grove Inc. for the renovation of the original portion of the structure. The work was to be performed in phases and completed within 300 days.<ref>{{Cite news|date=February 18, 1938|title=Gets Postoffice Work; New York Concern Will Renovate Eighth Avenue Building|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1938/02/18/archives/gets-postoffice-work-new-york-concern-will-renovate-eighth-avenue.html|access-date=January 1, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==== Late 20th century ====
During the 20th century, the General Post Office hosted Christmas tree-lighting events.<ref>{{Cite news|date=December 20, 1945|title=Christmas Tree Lit; 600 View Ceremony in Lobby of General Postoffice|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1945/12/20/archives/christmas-tree-lit-600-view-ceremony-in-lobby-of-general-postoffice.html|access-date=January 4, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The building was made a [[New York City designated landmark]] in 1966<ref name="NYCL-0232">{{cite web|date=May 17, 1966|title=United States General Post Office|url=http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/0232.pdf|access-date=December 28, 2020|publisher=[[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]]}}</ref> and was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1973.<ref name="nris" /> In 1982, the Penn Station post office was dedicated as the James A. Farley Building, in honor of the former Postmaster General who had expanded the building in the 1930s.<ref name="landmarks498" /><ref>{{Cite news|last=Carroll|first=Maurice|date=May 25, 1982|title=Farley Hailed by Renaming of Postal Site|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/25/nyregion/farley-hailed-by-renaming-of-postal-site.html|access-date=December 31, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>  Known for being the supreme [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] boss of New York State,<ref>{{cite news |title=The Nation: Farley Wins |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,849988,00.html |magazine=Time |date=August 31, 1942 |accessdate=October 25, 2008 |archive-date=June 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100625162718/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,849988,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Farley was responsible for [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]'s rise to the U.S. presidency.<ref>http://tvnews.vanderbilt.eduprogram.pl?ID=488627 {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120726192529/http://tvnews.vanderbilt.eduprogram.pl/?ID=488627 |date=July 26, 2012 }}</ref>

In the early 1990s, U.S. senator [[Daniel Patrick Moynihan]] began to champion a plan to rebuild a replica of the [[Pennsylvania Station (1910–1963)|historic Penn Station]], in which he had shined shoes during the [[Great Depression]]. At the time, existing facilities at Penn Station were overcrowded and the USPS was planning to move much of its operations to another facility.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Dao|first=James|date=May 13, 1992|title=Amtrak's Envious Look at Post Office|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/13/nyregion/amtrak-s-envious-look-at-post-office.html|access-date=December 31, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In 1994, the cornice was removed; it was so deteriorated that chunks of stone had started falling onto the street.<ref name="nyt19940123">{{Cite news|last=Rothstein|first=Mervyn|date=January 23, 1994|title=Postings: Done in by the Elements; Post Office Will Restore a Crumbling Cornice|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/23/realestate/postings-done-in-by-the-elements-post-office-will-restore-a-crumbling-cornice.html|access-date=December 31, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Parts of the deteriorated steel structure were also replaced.<ref name="EIS-Vol1-1999" />{{Rp|20}}

==== Early 21st century ====
The Farley Building was instrumental to maintaining service levels in the [[New York metropolitan area]] following the [[September 11 attacks]] in 2001, when it served as a backup to operations for the [[90 Church Street|Church Street Station Post Office]] opposite the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] complex.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Dunlap|first=David W.|date=October 11, 2001|title=Penn Station Faces Delay Of Expansion|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/11/nyregion/penn-station-faces-delay-of-expansion.html|access-date=December 31, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> By October 2002, the New York state government had arranged to buy the Farley Building from the USPS for $230 million, with the USPS vacating much of the building.<ref>{{cite web|date=October 16, 2002|title=LIRR Line May End at New Penn Station by 2009|url=https://qns.com/2002/10/lirr-line-may-end-at-new-penn-station-by-2009/|access-date=December 31, 2020|work=TimesLedger}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Bagli|first=Charles V.|date=October 8, 2002|title=Deal Revives Delayed Plan For Train Hub|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/08/nyregion/deal-revives-delayed-plan-for-train-hub.html|access-date=December 31, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The Farley Post Office building was sold to the New York state government in 2006 in the hope that Moynihan's vision would be realized.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bagli|first=Charles V.|date=March 6, 2015|title=New Grandeur for Penn Station in Latest Plan|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/04/nyregion/04moynihan.html|access-date=March 6, 2019|website=The New York Times}}</ref> Before the [[Great Recession]] in 2009, the Farley Post Office was the only New York City post office that was open [[24/7 service|24/7]],<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.nycgo.com/attractions/james-a.-farley-post-office-midtown-west| title=James A. Farley Post Office| website=NYC: The Official Guide| language=en| access-date=November 28, 2019}}</ref> but as a result of the recession, its windows started closing at 10:00&nbsp;p.m.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Molnar|first1=Phil|last2=Burke|first2=Kerry|date=April 16, 2009|title=James A. Farley Post Office to Close 24-Hour Window|newspaper=New York Daily News|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/04/16/2009-04-16_james_a_farley_post_office_to_close_24hour_window.html|access-date=August 7, 2011|archive-date=April 19, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419225305/http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/04/16/2009-04-16_james_a_farley_post_office_to_close_24hour_window.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=D'Anna|first=Eddie|date=April 17, 2009|title=New York City's Main Post Office Stops 24-Hour Service|newspaper=[[Staten Island Advance]]|url=http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/new_york_citys_main_post_offic.html|access-date=May 5, 2009}}</ref>

During the 2010s, the event venue operator Skylight Group used the Farley Building as an event venue.<ref name="Mulshine e881">{{cite web |last=Mulshine |first=Molly |date=September 8, 2014 |title=Got a Few Million to Spend on a Party? She's Got a Warehouse to Rent You |url=https://observer.com/2014/09/got-a-few-million-to-spend-on-a-party-shes-got-a-warehouse-to-rent-you/ |access-date=June 12, 2024 |website=Observer}}</ref><ref name="Gardner s515">{{cite news |last=Gardner |first=Ralph Jr |date=April 30, 2013 |title=Setting Stages Fit for Bond |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323528404578455130132125310 |access-date=June 12, 2024 |work=The Wall Street Journal |page= |language=en-US |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> The Moynihan Station Development Corporation awarded a contract to Skylight in September 2012, allowing the latter group to use the building's sorting room and loading area for events.<ref name="Senison 2013">{{cite web |last=Senison |first=Heather |date=September 29, 2013 |title=James Farley Post Office Delivers as Event Space |url=https://www.amny.com/news/james-farley-post-office-delivers-as-event-space-1-6163982/ |access-date=June 12, 2024 |website=amNewYork}}</ref> Events staged at the building included fashion shows such as [[New York Fashion Week]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Hojnicki |first=Carrie |date=March 31, 2015 |title=New York Fashion Week Gets a New Home |url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/nyfw-moynihan-station-new-location |access-date=June 12, 2024 |website=Architectural Digest}}</ref> in addition to movie premieres, parties, and product launches.<ref name="Senison 2013" />

=== Reuse ===
{{Main article|Moynihan Train Hall}}
[[File:ESC 1 Jan (6) jeh.jpg|thumb|Moynihan Train Hall in 2021]]
Portions of the James Farley Post Office were [[Adaptive reuse|adaptively reused]] and converted to a new [[head house]] for Penn Station, called [[Moynihan Train Hall]], which houses [[Amtrak]] and the [[Long Island Rail Road]].<ref>{{cite news| last1=Tangel| first1=Andrew| last2=West| first2=Melanie Grayce| title=New Name for Revamped Penn Station Surprises Moynihan Officials, Sparks Debate| newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]| date=January 8, 2016| url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/proposed-name-of-revamped-penn-station-surprises-moynihan-officials-1452277666| access-date=March 6, 2019| url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| last=Hardt| first=Bob| title=NY1 ItCH: Let's Not Rename Moynihan Station| website=[[Spectrum News]] NY1 &#124; New York City| date=January 7, 2016| url=https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/political-itch/2016/01/7/ny1-itch--let-s-not-rename-moynihan-station| access-date=March 6, 2019}}</ref> The first phase, consisting of new exits, a connection to the [[New York City Subway]] at [[34th Street–Penn Station (IND Eighth Avenue Line)|34th Street and Eighth Avenue]], and an expanded concourse within the James Farley Post Office, started on October 18, 2010.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=October 18, 2010 |title=New York Penn Station Expansion to Finally See Light of Day |journal=Trains |url=http://trn.trains.com/en/Railroad%20News/News%20Wire/2010/10/New%20York%20Penn%20Station%20expansion%20to%20finally%20see%20light%20of%20day.aspx |access-date=October 20, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Work to Begin on Massive Penn Station Expansion |url=http://libn.com/2012/05/09/work-to-begin-on-massive-penn-station-expansion/ |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=[[Long Island Business News]] |date=May 9, 2012 |access-date=May 9, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/27/the-associated-press-3-contractors-picked-for-penn-station-overhaul.html |title=3 Contractors Picked for Penn Station Overhaul |publisher=[[Associated Press]] |date=September 27, 2016 |access-date=September 28, 2016 |archive-date=October 2, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002043922/https://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/27/the-associated-press-3-contractors-picked-for-penn-station-overhaul.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The first phase opened in June 2017.<ref>{{cite web|last=Warerkar|first=Tanay|date=June 15, 2017|title=Penn Station's West End Concourse Finally Opens to the Public|url=https://ny.curbed.com/2017/6/15/15807744/penn-station-west-end-concourse-post-office|access-date=December 31, 2020|website=Curbed NY}}</ref> Construction of the second phase, comprising a new train hall within the Farley Building, started two months afterward.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/cuomo-touts-1-6b-train-hall-project-penn-station-article-1.3420953| title=Cuomo touts $1.6B train hall project next to Penn Station| last1=Nasa| first1=Rahima| date=August 17, 2017| newspaper=New York Daily News| access-date=September 6, 2017| last2=Blain| first2=Glenn| language=en}}</ref> It opened on January 1, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web| last = Coburn| first = Jesse| title = NYC's Moynihan Train Hall opens Friday to LIRR commuters| work = Newsday| access-date = December 28, 2020| date = December 28, 2020| url = https://www.newsday.com/news/new-york/moynihan-train-hall-lirr-penn-station-1.50103548}}</ref>

As part of the Moynihan redevelopment, [[The Related Companies]] and [[Vornado Realty Trust]] were selected to develop the building's retail space.<ref name="nyt20160928">{{Cite news|last=Bagli|first=Charles V.|date=September 27, 2016|title=Cuomo's Vision for Revamped Penn Station: New Home for Amtrak and L.I.R.R.|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/28/nyregion/penn-station-new-york-andrew-cuomo.html|access-date=September 28, 2016|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The companies signed a contract in June 2017.<ref name="Brenzel 201706162">{{Cite web|last=Brenzel|first=Kathryn|date=June 16, 2017|title=Vornado, Related and Skanska Finalize Deal to Build $1.6B Moynihan Train Hall|url=https://therealdeal.com/2017/06/16/vornado-related-and-skanska-finalize-deal-to-build-1-6b-moynihan-train-hall/|access-date=January 1, 2021|website=The Real Deal New York|language=en-US}}</ref> Vornado and Related leased the building for 99 years, and in exchange, contributed $630 million to the hall's construction.<ref name="Brenzel 201706162" /><ref name="nyt20201230">{{Cite news|last=Goldbaum|first=Christina|date=December 30, 2020|title=New Train Hall Opens at Penn Station, Echoing Building's Former Glory|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/30/nyregion/moynihan-penn-station.html|access-date=December 31, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In early 2018, Vornado and Related started considering plans to convert the Farley Building's remaining space that was not being used by the train hall. The developers contemplated marketing the building for use by a biotechnology or pharmaceutical company.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Morris|first=Keiko|date=April 1, 2018|title=Vornado and Related Venture Hoping to Create Research Center at Farley Building|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/vornado-and-related-venture-hoping-to-create-research-center-at-farley-building-1522594800|access-date=January 4, 2021|issn=0099-9660}}</ref> In August 2020, [[Meta Platforms]] signed a lease for all {{Convert|730,000|ft2||abbr=}} of the office space in the Farley Building, following a similar acquisition the company had made at nearby [[Hudson Yards (development)|Hudson Yards]] the previous year.<ref name="nyt20200803">{{Cite news|last=Haag|first=Matthew|date=August 3, 2020|title=Facebook Bets Big on Future of N.Y.C., And Offices, With New Lease|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/03/nyregion/facebook-nyc-office-farley-building.html|access-date=August 4, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Gross|first=Elana Lyn|date=August 3, 2020|title=Facebook Leases Large Space At Manhattan's Farley Building, Signaling Confidence In The City And Office Buildings|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/elanagross/2020/08/03/facebook-leases-large-space-at-manhattans-farley-building-signaling-confidence-in-the-city-and-office-buildings/|access-date=August 4, 2020|website=Forbes|language=en}}</ref> The lease came during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in New York City]], when most Manhattan office workers were [[remote work]]ers, and was seen at the time as a major positive for Manhattan's office market.<ref name="nyt20200803" /><ref>{{cite web|last=Geiger|first=Daniel|date=August 3, 2020|title=Facebook Just Reached a Blockbuster Deal to Lease the Massive Farley Building in NYC as a Tech and Engineering Hub. Here's Why It's a Huge Win for a Shaken Office Market.|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-signs-730000-square-foot-office-lease-at-farley-building-2020-8|access-date=August 4, 2020|website=Business Insider}}</ref>
==See also==
{{Portal|New York City|United States|Politics}}
* [[List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan from 14th to 59th Streets]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Manhattan from 14th to 59th Streets]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|James Farley Post Office}}
* [https://www.vno.com/file/a6baac0c04405488bbb41adbaf4741a45b62f9da/vno_farley_light_sep_2018_v4_optim.pdf Farley (September 2018)], Vornado Realty Trust
* {{cite web |url=http://www.usps.com/postalhistory/_pdf/farley.pdf |website=USPS |title=Postal History: James A. Farley Biography |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070810063851/http://www.usps.com/postalhistory/_pdf/farley.pdf |archive-date=August 10, 2007 }}

{{Chelsea, Manhattan}}
{{Midtown South, Manhattan}}
{{National Register of Historic Places in New York|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Chelsea, Manhattan]]
[[Category:Eighth Avenue (Manhattan)]]
[[Category:Hudson Yards, Manhattan]]
[[Category:McKim, Mead & White buildings]]
[[Category:Midtown Manhattan]]
[[Category:New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan]]
[[Category:New York State Register of Historic Places in New York County]]
[[Category:Post office buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Manhattan]]
[[Category:Treasury Relief Art Project]]
[[Category:United States Postal Service]]
[[Category:1914 establishments in New York City]]
[[Category:Government buildings completed in 1914]]
[[Category:1910s architecture in the United States]]