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United States Post Office (Port Washington, New York)

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Coordinates: 40°49′51.7″N 73°41′02.4″W / 40.831028°N 73.684000°W / 40.831028; -73.684000
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U.S. Post Office-Port Washington is a historic post office building located in Port Washington, in the Town of North Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, United States.

Port Washington Post Office
The Port Washington Post Office in 2023
Map
General information
Architectural styleArte Moderne; Neoclassical
Address1501 Port Washington Blvd., Port Washington, New York 11050
Coordinates40°49′51.7″N 73°41′02.4″W / 40.831028°N 73.684000°W / 40.831028; -73.684000
Construction started1934
Completed1935
Cost$65,300
OwnerUnited States Postal Service
Design and construction
Architect(s)Frank T. Cornell
Main contractorA. J. Paretta Contracting Co. Inc.

Description

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The 1-story, trapezoid-shaped post office building, designed in the Arte Moderne & Neoclassical architectural styles, was built in 1935 as part of a massive Depression-era Public Works Administration project that built many new post offices & other public buildings throughout the state of New York.[1][2][3][4] It is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.[4]

It was announced that PWA allotments were made for the post office's erection circa 1933, when it was announced that $65,300 (1933 USD) had been allocated for its construction – part of a $502,430 project to erect several post offices in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.[2]

Construction began on the building in 1934 and was completed the following year.[2] It was designed by Port Washington-based architect Frank T. Cornell, who had previously designed other prominent civic buildings in the area – including the Main Street School and extensions to North Hempstead Town Hall.[1][5] The contract for the building's construction was awarded by the Federal Government to A. J. Paretta Contracting Co. Inc.[2]

New Deal artwork

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As was common for New Deal-era post offices, three murals – also commissioned by the Federal Government, through the Treasury Relief Art Project – were installed in the post office.[2][3][6][7] Titled Lighthouse, Sailing, and Landscape, these three murals were installed in the lobby and were created by artist Harry S. Lane.[1][2][6]

Additional New Deal artwork by Paul Cadmus, titled Pocahontas and John Smith, was installed in the post office in 2918.[6][7][8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Kahofer, Kurt (November 1989). Building-Structure Inventory Survey: Port Washington Post Office. Town of North Hempstead.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Post Office – Port Washington NY". Living New Deal. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
  3. ^ a b Lupinskie-Huvane, Lorraine; Singer, Alan (2001). "The Great Depression and the New Deal on Long Island, New York". OAH Magazine of History. 16 (1): 26–29. ISSN 0882-228X.
  4. ^ a b "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)" (Searchable database). New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  5. ^ "Scenes of Old Port Washington ... Its History". Newsday. May 23, 1946. p. 32 – via ProQuest.
  6. ^ a b c Goldstein, Marilyn (December 17, 1978). "Depression-Era Murals: A New Deal for Artists". Newsday. pp. LI28 – via ProQuest.
  7. ^ a b Goodman, Peter (October 29, 1978). "Art works horn of the Great Depression". Newsday. pp. A15 – via ProQuest.
  8. ^ Wallace, Brian (2014-01-01). "A Century of Self-Expression: Modern American Art in the Collection of John and Joanne Payson". Students of Exhibiting Modern Art.
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