The post office in Norwich, Connecticut, was built in 1905. An addition was built by the New Deal in 1938, and the post office was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. It contains a mural, "Taking Up Arms – 1776," painted in 1940 by George Kanelous, who was such a perfectionist he’d paint over his own … Read More
Groundhog Day in Danbury: Historic Post Office on the Chopping Block—Again
At the geographical center of Danbury, Connecticut, is the Main Street Historic District. It has 97 buildings of historic and architectural significance, and two of them are post offices—the Old Post Office (1876) at 258 Main Street, now home to a financial group, and the current post office at 265 Main Street. A two-story brick Georgian Revival building with a … Read More
Historic Pass-a-Grille, FL, post office to close, believe it or not
The Old Town of Pass-a-Grille is an officially designated historic district located in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida. The district contains 97 buildings, and at its center is Eighth Avenue, a one-block stretch between the gulf and the bay. In the 1940s, Ripley's Believe it or Not deemed Eighth Avenue the smallest main street in America. Pass-a-Grille has had a post … Read More
Horror Story in Lakewood, NJ
The post office in downtown Lakewood, New Jersey, was built by the WPA in 1938. Located at the corner of Clifton Avenue & Main Street, it’s undergone a few changes over the years, like an addition on the north side and renovation of the interior, but for the most part it looks like it did back in 1938. The Asbury … Read More
It all just goes and comes around in Freehold
Freehold, New Jersey, has had a post office since 1795, and it once had a New Deal post office. Built in 1934 by the WPA, it boasted a historic mural of Revolutionary War hero Molly Pitcher, painted in 1936 by Gerald Foster of Westfield. The mural now hangs in the Monmouth County Library, and the post office building now houses the Sheriff’s … Read More
Prelude to a Closure
The North County Times reports that the Postal Service plans to shift 11 postal carriers’ home base from the Winchester, California, post office to a postal delivery center, and the news has prompted concern from some members of the community that this is the prelude to closing the post office completely. Residents say a closure “would take away a key … Read More
Done Deal: New Deal P.O. in Westport, CT, Sold
The post office at 154 Post Road in Westport, Connecticut, was built in 1935 by the New Deal. It was designed by Lansing Holden, a World War I flying ace, who won the Distinguished Service Cross. Returning home from the war, he took up his father’s profession as an architect. Holden continued to fly, and in 1938 he died in … Read More
Postal Regulatory Commission Chair testifies to Senate on the closings
The Postal Regulatory Commission is is an independent government agency charged with oversight of the Postal Service. Ruth Y. Goldway is the chairman of the Commission, and she testified before the Senate yesterday (May 22, 2011). A key part of her statement concerned the closings of post offices across the country. She made two key points: (1) the Postal Service … Read More
New Deal Post Office in Camas, WA: Going, going, gone
The post office in downtown Camas, Washington, was built in 1939 under the New Deal, and it's been on the National Register of Historic Buildings since 1991. The Camas post office contains a mural, sponsored by the Section of Fine Arts, painted by Douglas Nicholson in 1941. Entitled "Beginning of a New World," it depicts Northwest settlers and a Native … Read More
Historic post office in Sheffield, AL: Rumors of closing
The post office in Sheffield, Alabama, was built in 1930, and it's on the National Register of Historic Places. It is rumored to be haunted by a former postal employee. Sheffield is the birthplace of actor and senator Fred Thompson (born 1942), who, coincidentally, worked at a post office in Tennessee where he attended high school. Sheffield is just a … Read More
New Deal post office in Somerville: For Sale
The Union Square post office on Washington Street in Somerville, Massachusetts, was built in 1935, under the New Deal. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. As the Somerville Patch reports, the USPS is planning to move most of the Union Square operations to another location, sell the historic building, and lease back some space … Read More
It don’t look good, news is bad: New Deal P.O. in Ukiah, CA, to close
The post office in Ukiah, California, was built in 1937 under the New Deal. It may close in a few weeks. On Feb. 23, the Postal Service announced its intention to close this downtown post office and move its services to an annex at the edge of the city. A meeting was held on April 21, and more than 200 … Read More
Palm Beach Story
In October of 2010, residents of Palm Beach, Florida, learned that their post office would be closing. An historic structure built in 1936 by the New Deal, it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Residents had a few weeks to protest, and protest they did, but to no avail—the post office is closing, probably sometime in June. The … Read More
Historic Post Office in Athens, PA: Don’t Bet on It
The rich heritage of post offices built during the New Deal is being dismantled by the Postal Service, piece by piece. The post office in Athens, Pennsylvania, may be closing soon. The Sayre, PA, Morning Times reports today, “According to the Postmaster (who is not a local), a truck will come in Memorial Day weekend to move the majority of … Read More
Robbing Northfield, MN, of its New Deal Post Office
The post office in Northfield, Minnesota was built by the New Deal in 1936. It is on the National Register of Historic Places, and it's a cornerstone of the Northfield Downtown Historic District. The Postal Service has announced it will close this historic downtown post office and consolidate services at an annex a few miles away. KYMN radio reports today … Read More
