Old Bennington Post Office facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bennington Post Office
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West and south elevations, 2011
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | 118 South St., Bennington, Vermont |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1914 |
| Architect | Taylor, James Knox |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000137 |
| Added to NRHP | December 12, 1976 |
The Old Bennington Post Office is a special old building in Bennington, Vermont. It's located at 118 South Street. This building was once known as the U.S. Federal Building. It was built in 1914 and looks like a Greek Revival style building. Today, it is home to the Bennington Police Department. Because of its cool design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
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What Does the Building Look Like?
The Old Bennington Post Office is in the middle of downtown Bennington. You can find it at the corner of Union and South Streets, which is also United States Route 7. It's a one-story building made of stone, sitting on a slightly raised base. The walls are built from concrete and brick, but they are covered with beautiful Vermont marble.
The Front of the Building
The front of the building faces South Street. It has nine sections, called bays. The main entrance is set back a bit. Six large, round columns with grooves, called Doric columns, stand in front of the entrance. There are also square columns, called pilasters, on the corners. More square pilasters are found at the back of the entrance area.
The top of the building has decorative bands called entablatures. One of these bands has cool Roman patterns. Above that is a cornice (a decorative molding) and a wide parapet (a low wall along the roof).
The Side of the Building
The side of the building that faces Union Street has six window sections. These sections also have pilasters, just like the front.
History of the Building
This post office was built in 1914. It was one of the last projects designed by the Office of the Supervising Architect. This office was part of the United States Department of the Treasury and designed many government buildings. The architect in charge at that time was James Knox Taylor.
The building was used as a post office until 1967. After that, the inside was changed to create offices for the federal government. Now, it serves as the home for the Bennington Police Department.
