Courthouse in Buffalo, officially rededicated in 1987 in honor of longtime Internal Revenue Service employee Michael J. Dillon, occupies an entire block along Niagara Square, the city's civic center since 1802.

Construction of the seven-story sandstone and steel courthouse in 1936 resulted from Buffalo's evolution as one of the country's most important industrial centers, which brought numerous federal agencies to the city.

The courthouse concentrated the federal presence in an excellent example of the Art Moderne architecture favored for government buildings funded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs.

Due to economic pressures on small architectural firms during the Depression, local architects received some of these commissions.

In January 1933, the Supervising Architect's Office retained two influential Buffalo firms, Green and Sons and Bley and Lyman, to prepare plans for the new courthouse.

The courthouse is a unique example of Art Moderne architecture because of its unusual shape and low-relief carved ornament.

President Roosevelt dedicated the courthouse on October 17, 1936 — his speech emphasizing the vital partnership between the Federal government and local officials in creating public works to overcome the devastating effects of the Depression.

Constructed in 1935, this building is an unusually-shaped example of starved classicism, a style of Federal architecture that was prominent during this period.

The building appears as a solid geometric mass, with planar walls and sparing detail.

One of the two main building entries is located at approximately the midpoint of the Court Street elevation.

The post office lobby has writing desks with ornamental cast aluminum frames, aluminum window frames and details in the post office screen, and lantern light fixtures in each column that match those of the vestibules.

The light fixtures in the main lobby are drum shaped and have aluminum frames with a star motif.

The Bankruptcy Courtroom has wood panel wainscot with molded cap, dark green marble border and base and plaster walls and ceilings.

The judge's bench and jury box have a carved band around the top, and dark green marble base.

An elaborate ornamental plaster band around the ceiling is composed of alternating squares with stars and flowers.

This room is elaborately detailed with dark green marble border and base, wood wainscot and ornamental molded cornice with medallions.

One significant original finish that is still present in many corridor areas is the hollow metal doors, chair rail, and surrounds throughout the building.