James Knox Taylor, the official architect of the United States Treasury, designed the building, which was constructed in the Flemish Gothic style. The exterior stone is made of granite from Jonesboro, Maine.

It was originally designed to house U.S. government agencies. Over the years many of these services were relocated (U.S. Courts and IRS) or were closed (Steam Boat Inspection Service and Lighthouse Board). In 1963, the main branch services of the U.S. Postal Service, the only remaining major tenant, moved out of the building. The building remained vacant during the late 1960s and 1970s. In 1969, the building was considered for demolition and was described by one prominent civic leader as a "monstrous pile of death-like stone." Many preservationists disagreed, and the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Numerous new uses, including a convention center, were proposed as it sat vacant throughout most of the 1970s. Finally in 1981, after several years of rehabilitation, the building was reopened as the downtown campus for Erie Community College. It remains one of the most recognizable buildings in the Downtown landscape.

Turn South and face Dunn Tire Park.