early federal government facilities in machias were located in leased spaces secured by the postmasters and customs collectors, a condition eventually found inadequate due to frequently changing addresses, and spaces that were not properly configured for the purpose. in 1867 the united states congress authorized construction of this building, for which the land was acquired in 1870, and the construction completed in 1872. the building was designed by alfred b. mullett, the supervising architect of the united states treasury department, and the construction was supervised by horatio l. hill, a local builder and architect. in order to save costs, materials were sourced locally.