United States Post Office (Bowling Green, Ohio) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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U.S. Post Office
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![]() Front of the post office
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Location | 305 N. Main St., Bowling Green, Ohio |
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Area | Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
Built | 1913 |
Architect | O. Wenderoth; James Devault & Son |
Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Classical Revival, Second Renaissance Revival |
NRHP reference No. | 79001980 |
Added to NRHP | March 28, 1979 |
The old Bowling Green Post Office is a special historic building in downtown Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. It was built a long time ago, in the early 1900s. This building is unique because it mixes different cool building styles. It's so important that it's now called a historic site.
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Building Style and Design
This building was finished in 1913. It is made of brick and has a roof covered with asphalt. You can also see a lot of sandstone used in its walls.
A Mix of Styles
The design of the post office was created under the direction of a person named Mr. Wenderoth. He combined parts of two popular building styles from the early 1900s.
One style is called Neo-Renaissance. You can see its influence in the arched windows. It also appears in the special corner stones, called quoins, on the sides of the building. Some parts of the front porch, known as a portico, also show this style.
The other main style is Neoclassical. This style makes the front of the building look very grand. It uses smooth stone for the outside walls. The building also looks very balanced and the same on both sides, which is a key part of Neoclassical design.
Front Entrance Details
The main entrance of the building has a large porch with four columns. This porch is called a portico. At the very top of the portico, there is a triangular part called a pediment. In the middle of this triangle, there is a round window, which is called an oculus.
The main door itself is quite fancy. It has a special fan-shaped window above it, called a fanlight. The door also has an iron frame and decorations that follow the Corinthian order, which is a classic style of columns and details.
History of the Building
The old post office is located right in the middle of downtown Bowling Green. It sits at the north end of the city's main shopping area.
For many years, this building was very important. It was the main post office for all of Wood County. It was also the only big federal building in the area. This made it one of the most famous buildings in the city.
New Purpose for the Building
The building is no longer used as a post office. The postal service moved to a different place in the late 1970s.
Since then, the building has been used as the Wood County Senior Citizens Center. Even with its new job, it's still a well-known place for people all over the county. The Wood County Committee on Aging, which runs many centers, uses this building as its main office.
A Historic Landmark
In 1979, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It earned this special listing because of its unique and important historical architecture.
It is one of five places in Bowling Green that are listed on the National Register. The others include the Main Street Historic District, the county courthouse, Floral Hall in a city park, and the Boom Town Historic District.
In 2020, it was announced that the building would get some important changes.