Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building
Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building | |
 Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building in 2008 | |
    | |
| Location | 330 Independence Avenue. SW |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°53′14.64″N 77°1′.84″W / 38.8874000°N 77.0169000°W |
| Area | 3 acres (1.2 ha) |
| Built | 1939 |
| Architect | Charles Zeller Klauder; Office of the Supervising Architect |
| Architectural style | Egyptian Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 07000639[1] |
| Added to NRHP | July 6, 2007 |
The Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building is a historic building at 330 Independence Avenue, Southwest, Washington, D.C., United States.[2] Originally known as the Social Security Administration Building, it is recognized for its architecture.
History
[edit]The building was designed by Charles Zeller Klauder and the Office of the Supervising Architect under Louis A. Simon, in the Stripped Classical style in 1939. The building has Egyptian elements as well.[2]
Construction was completed in 1940, but Social Security did not become the building's first occupant.[3] Instead, the threat of war created a need for space for defense agencies, and the building was made available to the War Department and the National Defense Commission. After the war, the Federal Security Agency, under which the Social Security Board had been placed in 1939, moved into the building. In 1953, FSA's successor, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, part of which became the Department of Health and Human Services in 1980, became the primary occupant.[2] Voice of America was headquartered in the building beginning in 1954.[4]
On April 28, 1988, the building was renamed the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building in honor of the Social Security Board's first professional employee and the former Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare.[5] On July 6, 2007, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Voice of America (VOA) and the U.S. Agency for Global Media were the building's principal occupants.[2]
In 2020, the General Services Administration notified VOA that the agency would have to leave the building by 2028.[3][6] At the time, VOA's offices there were described as "highly inefficient".[6] Under the second presidency of Donald Trump, in May 2025, federal officials agreed to expedite the sale of the building.[7][8] This prompted concerns that the building could be demolished, as the cost of renovations would likely be prohibitive.[3] Preservationists advocated for saving the building's murals, which included works by Seymour Fogel, Philip Guston, and Ben Shahn.[9][10]
Gallery
[edit]-
North side oblique view -
North entrance - with the relief "The Growth of Social Security" by Henry Kreis -
East entrance - "The Benefits of Social Security" by Kreis -
South entrance - "Family Group" by Emma Lu Davis -
West entrance - "Unemployment Compensation" by Davis -
Cornerstone -
Section of the mural "The Meaning of Social Security" by Ben Shahn, completed in 1942
See also
[edit]- Railroad Retirement Board Building on the same block
- National Register of Historic Places listings in central Washington, D.C.
References
[edit]- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b c d
This article incorporates public domain material from Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building (SSA), Washington, DC. General Services Administration.
- ^ a b c Ozug, Matt (November 26, 2025). "Historic murals inside a D.C. federal building may face an uncertain future". NPR. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
- ^ Benzine, Vittoria (November 11, 2025). "Preservationists Rally to Save Historic Building With New Deal-Era Murals". Artnet News.
- ^ "The Headquarters That Never Was- II". Social Security Online History Pages. Archived from the original on December 10, 2023.
- ^ a b "Voice of America parent agency to leave its longtime home on the National Mall". Washington Business Journal. July 13, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
- ^ Trombola, Nick (May 30, 2025). "Trump Administration Greenlights Quick Disposal of Federal Offices". Commercial Observer. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
- ^ "Trump administration OKs expedited disposal of Greater Washington federal properties". Washington Business Journal. May 30, 2025. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
- ^ Ozug, Matt (November 26, 2025). "Historic murals inside a D.C. federal building may face an uncertain future". NPR. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
- ^ Media, Surface (November 17, 2025). "There's a Fight Underway to Save the "Sistine Chapel of New Deal Art," and Other News – SURFACE". SURFACE. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
External links
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