The building occupies an entire city block on the western side of Wright Square, bounded by Bull, York, Whitaker, and State streets.

The building makes an important visual contribution architecturally to the city due to the high quality of its design and materials, and as such is individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Designed in the Second Renaissance Revival style, with richly carved ornamentation, it is one of the most distinguished and imposing buildings of its era in Savannah.

In 1889, work had just begun on a new post office at the corner of York and Abercorn Streets when construction was suspended because the citizens of Savannah wanted a "more suitable" building than the one originally planned.

As a result, the U.S. Congress was persuaded to appropriate additional funds for the new post office, and in 1894, excavations began at a new site in the southern half of the block now entirely occupied by the building.

This site itself was notable in Savannah's history as the former location of a courthouse where John Wesley, founder of Methodism, had preached in 1736 and 1737.

Motifs relating to nature—including flowers, animals, and fruit- are incorporated into the frieze (the carved band below the eaves) alternating with medallions of various colored marble.

Arched entrance openings, which occur singly, in pairs, or tangentially connected, on the street level of the building give the appearance of an arcade.

These loggias are arcaded with colored marble disks above the architrave on the first level and arched openings with a bracketed balcony on the second.

Although the interior has been substantially renovated to accommodate various tenants through the years, original materials-including 1899 fireplace mantles in some rooms on the upper floors of the south wing are still evident in parts of the building.

Recent U.S. General Service Administration preservation efforts include the restoration of the third-floor courtroom in the 1932 addition and the replication of historic lighting in the 1899 lobbies.