Bethesda Now: It’s an important symbol of the New Deal era based on a piece of Bethesda history. But for the last 17 months, the old Bethesda Post Office mural has been sitting in Postal Service storage. On Wednesday, the 1939 mural of the Bethesda Farm Women’s Market that was proudly displayed in the old Bethesda Post Office will be re-installed … Read More
Two historic post offices in Connecticut get gutted
When the Postal Service sold two historic post offices in Connecticut, there was probably a general sense that they would be protected by preservation laws. But over the past few weeks, the post offices in Fairfield and Greenwich have been totally gutted, and a good portion of the Fairfield exterior has been destroyed as well. About all that will … Read More
Opponents of Bronx Post Office Closure to Rally and Possibly Sue
From DNAInfo New York: "The campaign to stop the sale of the historic Bronx General Post Office is moving to the streets and the courts, advocates say, after federal regulators rejected an appeal of the proposed sale of the building. "On Saturday, local residents, postal workers and allies from as far away as California will meet at Lincoln Hospital and then march … Read More
Businessweek: Saving the U.S. Postal Service’s New Deal Masterpieces
Businessweek's Devin Leonard has a story about the sale of historic post offices, like the Bronx GPO. It begins like this: "Walking into New York’s stately General Post Office in the Bronx, the first thing you notice are the murals. In 1938 the Roosevelt administration commissioned artist Ben Shahn to paint the walls of the cavernous lobby with 13 larger-than-life … Read More
Historic Westport CT post office re-opens as postal-themed restaurant
The historic New Deal post office in Westport, Connecticut, was closed last year and sold to developers who have turned it into an upscale restaurant. Now instead of buying stamps and mailing packages, you can dine on world-class creative cuisine including "crab tater tots, lobster quesadillas, Portuguese octopus, rosemary short ribs, The Hamburger Experience—made with Krystal Caves cheddar, pork … Read More
Santa Monica considers preservation covenant on historic (former) post office
The historic Santa Monica post office was shut down on June 29, and now the Postal Service is preparing to sell the building. City officials are looking for ways to protect the building by creating a “preservation covenant” that would, according to City staff, “prohibit the purchaser of the property, as well as all future owners of the property, from undertaking any … Read More
Musical chairs in Reading PA leaves historic post office without a place
Add another historic post office building to the list of those being sold. The Postal Service has announced that it plans to close the main post office at 59 North Fifth Street in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania, and put the building on the market. The Postal Service says there’s too much space in the building for its needs, and it points to … Read More
Historic St. Paul post office turns into apartment building
According to the Twin Cities Pioneer, "The former U.S. Post Office on Kellogg Boulevard in downtown St. Paul was sold Friday to a local development group, which plans to turn the Art Deco building into market-rate apartments." The building went for $5.25 million. The Postal Service relocated retail services from the downtown office to a new, smaller location a few … Read More
Berkeley scholar on radio to discuss sale of post offices
Gray Brechin, a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley and founder of the Living New Deal Project, as on KALW radio to discuss the significance of post office and historic postal buildings like the Berkeley post office, which is about to be sold. More than 600 buildings have been targeted for sale. Brechin has plenty to say about the role … Read More
Sale of Berkeley post office building means loss of rich history
Gray Brechin, the project scientist of the Living New Deal based in the UC Berkeley Department of Geography, has an Op-Ed in The Daily Californian that's well worth reading. Responding to the Postal Service's explanation that it doesn't need all the space in the Berkeley post office and it would be better to lease a smaller space, Brechin writes, … Read More
Santa Monica’s New Deal Post Office on the Road to Repurposing
The Santa Monica Lookout reports today: "Despite losing the battle to keep Santa Monica's 75-year-old post office open, officials and residents are working to make sure the New Deal-era building sticks around a little longer. "City Hall, with the help of the Santa Monica Conservancy and the Landmarks Commission, is working closely with the U.S. Postal Service to make sure … Read More
Historic Westport post office reopening as restaurant, postal services not on the menu
The historic post office in Westport, Connecticut, was built in 1936 under the New Deal as a way to put people to work and to promote confidence in the federal government. Now the Postal Service has a different agenda — putting people out of work and undermining confidence in the government. One way to do that is sell off … Read More
Going, going, gone: Historic post offices on the GSA’s auction block
When journalists ask the Postal Service which post offices might be sold, they’re typically referred to the USPS-CBRE website, as if it represents a complete list. But there are other post offices for sale, and a few of them are currently listed on the GSA auction site. Apparently, selling these properties didn’t turn out to be the boon the Postal Service may … Read More
Opponents of historic post office’s closure in Glendale speak out
The Postal Service is moving forward on its plan to sell the 1936 post office in Glendale, California. As with so many other New Deal post offices in California — Venice, Santa Monica, La Jolla, Ukiah, and Berkeley — the Postal Service says the building is too large and it would prefer to lease a small space. As usual, the … Read More
Legacy at risk: The OIG audits the Postal Service’s disposal of historic properties
The USPS Office of Inspector General is preparing an audit report about the sale of historic post office buildings. The objective of the study is “to review the Postal Service’s process and plans for the disposal and preservation of historic properties.” The OIG poses two main questions: “Do you think the Postal Service follows proper procedures when disposing of historic … Read More
Historic Norristown PA post office to be sold
The U.S. Postal Service has announced plans to sell the Norristown Post Office at 28 E. Airy St. and relocate the retail services to a nearby building. The post office was built in 1940 under the New Deal, and it’s a landmark in downtown Norristown, but the opportunity for the public to comment will be limited. Since it’s a “relocation” decision, … Read More