United States Post Office-Manitou Springs Main facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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US Post Office - Manitou Springs Main
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 Location in Colorado
Location in the United States
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| Location | 307 Canon Avenue, Manitou Springs, Colorado |
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| Architect | Louis A. Simon |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 86000181 |
| Added to NRHP | 1986 |
The Manitou Springs Post Office is a special old building in Manitou Springs, Colorado. You can find it on Canon Avenue. This historic place is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important building worth protecting.
Contents
About the Building
The Manitou Springs Post Office was built on land that used to be part of a large estate called Windemere. This estate belonged to Jerome B. Wheeler. The building itself looks like a classic American home, a style known as Colonial Revival.
It's made from reddish-green stone blocks. This stone came from local quarries right in the area. When the post office opened around 1940 or 1941, it was the only U.S. post office built with stone from its own town. The building has one main floor and a smaller half-story above it. This half-story is used for storage. A natural spring, which Manitou Springs is famous for, is located just south of the post office.
The Post Office Mural
Inside the post office, there is a cool mural painted in 1942. A mural is a large painting directly on a wall. This one is called "Hunters, Red and White." It was created by an artist named Archie Musick.
What is the Mural About?
The mural was part of a special art program during a tough time in history called the Great Depression. This program helped artists find work by painting murals in public buildings. Many artists from the art school in Colorado Springs, Colorado painted murals across the country.
Archie Musick wanted to show a local legend about the Manitou springs. His first idea included a powerful god and a chief. But officials in Washington, D.C. loved a smaller part of his sketch. This part showed a long, thin picture (called a frieze) of Native American and trapper life. They told him to make that small picture fill the whole wall instead!
Hidden Meanings in the Art
The mural was painted just months after the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Many federal murals at that time showed strong national pride. But Archie Musick's mural is a bit different. It has a unique painting style using dry colors and a special clear coat.
The mural includes some historical ideas from his friend, the author Frank Waters. You might spot things like Manitou's first cabin or explorers like Zebulon Pike and John C. Frémont. But mostly, the mural comes from Archie's own imagination. He was inspired by fantasy, ancient picture writings (pictographs), and even his artist friends. Some of these friends were Japanese Americans who found a safe place to stay in Manitou Springs during that time. The beautiful rocky landscape of the area also inspired him.
