The property chosen at Seventh and Mission Streets was more than a mile from the central business district and surrounded by a working-class neighborhood of Irish and German immigrants.

To achieve the high level of craftsmanship specified for the interior, skilled artisans were brought from Italy,[2] who reportedly later worked on San Simeon.

While repairs were made, the Post Office set up collection points around the city, with the building serving as a symbol of hope in the weeks following the earthquake.

Engineering evaluation started immediately and in 1993 restoration work began, including seismic retrofitting to protect against future earthquakes.

[2] The imposing building, echoing the Italian palazzos designed by Bramante and Raphael during the Renaissance, is ornamented with enclosed pediments, balustrades, and rows of arched windows.

The bronze entry lanterns are replicas of the torch-holders designed in 1489 by Niccolo Grosso for the home of Filippo Strozzi, the richest banker in Florence.

[8] Originally, the building was a three-story structure with a fourth story, or attic level, set back from the facade and partially hidden behind the cornice and balustrade.

The courtyard was ornamented with geometric patterns of red, white, and blue glazed brick walls and one hundred pink-tongued lion heads along the cornice.

The post office originally occupied the ground floor with a lobby running the width of the Seventh Street (main) facade.

[2] Rare and exquisite materials on each of the floors of the building include a range of imported marble, such as Carrara and Yellow Siena from Italy, Pacific Coast Salmon Pink, and Red Numidian from North Africa.

[2] The Great Hall, located on the third floor, is adorned with white marble walls, Doric order columns, and a vaulted ceiling beautifully ribbed with gold trimmed plaster ornamentation.