Completed in 1904, it served historically as a courthouse, as a customhouse, and as a post office, and is the city's tallest building.

[1] The US Federal Building is prominently located in downtown Newport, at the southwest corner of Main and Second Streets.

It is just east of the Orleans County Courthouse and Jail Complex, and across Main Street from Newport City Hall.

The ground floor is finished in gray marble divided by deep bands, and appears as a raised basement.

The second and third-floor windows are set in rectangular openings with marble keystones and sills, while the short fourth level appears to be a raised element of the third floor.