The western edge of Jefferson’s commercial district is defined by the seventy-toot-high tower of this Romanesque Revival edifice that served the town as a post office and federal building for seventy-five years. Jefferson was one of four cities in Texas between 1889 and 1892 to receive courthouses designed under the direction of Freret. While his courthouses in Houston, San Antonio, and Galveston (all demolished) were larger and more lavish in style than this one, they all placed the post office on the ground floor and court functions on the upper levels, with separate public entrances to each. Here, the second-floor courtroom is distinguished by a raised gable roof and tall windows. The four-story tower has a monumental arched entrance and a tall pyramidal roof. The red brick walls are detailed with stringcourses, corbels, and a variety of arched window openings. Following closure of the federal court in 1965, the building was purchased by the Jefferson Historical Society and converted into a museum.