Long Beach Main Post Office facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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U.S. Post Office-Long Beach Main
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Main Post Office in Long Beach, September 2009
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 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 300 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach, California |
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| Built | 1934 |
| Architect | Louis A. Simon and Office of the Supervising Architect under James A. Wetmore |
| Architectural style | Art Deco, PWA/WPA Moderne |
| NRHP reference No. | 85000129 |
| Added to NRHP | 1985 |
The Long Beach Main Post Office is a special building in Long Beach, California. It's a post office located in the city's downtown area. This building is famous for its unique style, known as Art Deco and PWA Moderne.
It first opened its doors in 1934. Because of its important design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. This means it's recognized as a historic landmark. The building still works as a post office today.
Contents
Discovering the Post Office Design
This impressive building was constructed between 1933 and 1934. It was part of a big government program called the New Deal's Works Progress Administration (WPA). The WPA helped create jobs during a tough economic time.
Building Materials and Look
The post office is made from large blocks of stone. It also has special clay tiles called terra cotta on the outside. The most striking part of the building is its tall central tower. This tower rises more than four stories high from the street.
Who Designed This Landmark?
The building's design is credited to Louis A. Simon and the Office of the Supervising Architect. This office was part of the United States Department of the Treasury. From 1933 to 1939, Louis A. Simon was in charge of this office. Their job was to design federal government buildings across the country.
Unique Architectural Styles
Experts describe the building's style in different ways. Some call it "Starved Classicism" or "PWA/WPA Moderne". One person even called it "Post-Quake Moderne." This is because the Moderne style of Art Deco became very popular in Long Beach. It was used a lot when the city was rebuilt after the big 1933 Long Beach earthquake.
Architectural historians David Gebhard and Robert Winter praised the building. They said it showed "PWA Moderne, accomplished with restrained and sophisticated taste." This means the design was simple yet very elegant.
A Look Back at the Post Office History
The postal service in Long Beach started way back in 1885. This was even before Long Beach officially became a city! The very first postmaster, or person in charge of the post office, was named Col. W.W. Lowe.
Construction During Challenging Times
Plans for this new main post office building were approved in March 1931. Construction began a year later, in March 1932. The building was still being built when the powerful 1933 Long Beach earthquake hit the city.
Work on the building stopped for a short time. But it started again just a week later. Engineers checked the building carefully and found it had very little damage. The scaffolding, which are temporary structures used during construction, was removed in July 1934.
Grand Opening and Continued Service
The official opening ceremony for the post office was held in September 1934. About 5,000 people came to celebrate! Since that day, the Long Beach Main Post Office has been open and serving the community without stopping.
Images for kids
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Reliefs on the building
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An engraving detail
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A fixture inside the building
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View from 3rd Street
