J. Marvin Jones Federal Building and Mary Lou Robinson United States Courthouse

The J. Marvin Jones Federal Building and Mary Lou Robinson United States Courthouse, formerly known as the Amarillo U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas built in Amarillo, Texas in 1937. It reflects Art Deco architecture and Moderne architecture, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. In addition to its continuous use as a courthouse, it has served as a post office, as a customhouse, and as a government office building.

It was renamed for U.S. Court of Claims judge John Marvin Jones in 1980, and was renamed the J. Marvin Jones Federal Building and Mary Lou Robinson United States Courthouse in 2018 in honor of federal judge Mary Lou Robinson.

Significance

Built in 1937 and 1938, the building occupies a prominent position in downtown Amarillo, across East Fifth Avenue north of Courthouse Square. Smaller and less important architecturally than the adjacent Potter County Courthouse, the Jones Building nevertheless gives the Federal Government a tangible presence in the center this city on the plains of North Texas, and demonstrates the concern that existed at the time of its construction for enhancing public places. Built to occupy approximately half of the block bounded by East Fifth Avenue, S. Taylor Street, East Fourth Avenue and S. Fillmore Street, the structure was designed as the United States Post Office and Courthouse. It served both of these functions, and provided additional Federal offices, until 1977 when the Post Office moved its central office out of the building and into its fourth Amarillo location.

This building was designed by well-known Texas architect Wyatt C. Hedrick (who had offices in Fort Worth, Dallas, and Houston). Louis A. Simon of the U.S. Treasury Department was the supervising architect and Neal Melnick was the supervising engineer; Algernon Blair of Montgomery, Alabama was the contractor.