Photo by Dan Macy

With The Washington Post Company possibly leaving its headquarters at 1150 15th Street NW for a new home, the D.C. Preservation League is reportedly considering whether the building qualifies for historical landmark status.

Washington Business Journal reports that league is looking at the Post’s building because of its legacy as one of the I.M. Pei-designedinfluenced Modernist buildings that dot downtown D.C.

Buildings could be candidates for landmark status if they meet a number of factors, including whether they hosted any historically significant events or whether the structures themselves embody an architectural design that is significant. More requirements can be found on the D.C. Historic Preservation Office’s website.

[D.C. Preservation League Executive Director Rebecca] Miller said the league has not had a chance to review how well the Post building meets those requirements but it is something the group intends to study.

The 63-year-old building has certainly seen its share of history, from the Pentagon Papers to the downfall of President Richard Nixon to Janet Cooke’s profile work to that time Dan Zak wrote about August.

The D.C. government assesses 15th and L at about $80 million, the Post reported when it broke news of the paper’s possible sale and relocation, although obtaining landmark status could potentially increase the sale price.

Additionally, making the Post’s headquarters a historical site would agree with a sentiment of preserving as much work by Pei and his contemporaries as possible. As the Business Journal notes, the demolition of the landscaping at the Potomac Place apartment buildings in Southwest D.C. ignited such a reaction that the District responded with a study cataloguing the city’s remaining supply of Modernist buildings. The Post’s building was among those included.