Photo by NCinDC

The historic U.S. Post Office on 31st Street NW in Georgetown is set to be sold to a private developer, reports the Examiner today. The post office building will be sold to EastBanc, a local developer, for $4.5 million. It has been in operation since 1858:

The building has housed a post office since the James Buchanan administration. When it opened in 1858, the first floor had a post office and the second floor had government offices and a Custom House for goods imported into the city of Georgetown. Eventually, Georgetown merged into the District of Columbia and the Custom House left the building, but the post office remained.

EastBanc officials say that a post office will continue to operate there, though the rest of the building could be converted for other uses.