After the Civil War ended, the city of Little Rock prospered as a cotton and lumber market and as the chief center of trade for Arkansas.

Thus, the United States Post Office and Courthouse in Little Rock was built in 1931–32, during one of the most difficult periods of American history, the Great Depression of the 1930s.

The east wing of the building was extended to the north in 1941 with an addition designed by Louis Simon as Supervising Architect of the Treasury and W.G.

The composition of the main elevation consists of two projecting Greek distyle pavilions at the east and west ends resting upon a two-story rusticated base.

The foundation and basement are gray granite, above which rise a first floor and mezzanine level of horizontally incised, rusticated limestone veneer, above which rise three floors of smooth finished (honed), flush jointed limestone which gives a monolithic appearance, except for fenestration and pilasters as described below.

[3] The two Greek distyle temple pavilions consist of slightly projecting pediments, each supported by a pair of three-story, fluted Doric engaged columns, resting on the rusticated two-story base.

A frieze of alternating limestone triglyphs and terra cotta metopes extends around the west, south and east elevations of the 1932 and 1941 buildings.

The terra cotta metopes are composed of various configurations of tiles creating palmette and leaf and scroll motifs.

[3] Exterior ornamentation is limited to the pilasters, the window system, the frieze described above, a terra cotta fretwork band separating the rusticated base from the smooth upper floors, and a shallow projecting cornice.

This presents an extremely vertical appearance where the two mullions extend upward continuously for three floors, separating the three-story pilasters.

[3] Interior spaces consist of a grand postal lobby; postal offices and work areas; double-loaded public corridors with elevator lobbies, several courtrooms including the main ceremonial courtroom on the fourth floor; standard tenant office spaces throughout; and a utilitarian basement.