United States Post Office (Lenox Hill Station) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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United States Post Office
Lenox Hill Station |
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(2009)
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 Location in New York City
Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | 217 East 70th Street Manhattan, New York City |
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| Built | 1935 |
| Architect | Eric Kebbon; U.S. Treasury Department |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| MPS | US Post Offices in New York State, 1858-1943, TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 88002363 |
| Added to NRHP | May 11, 1989 |
The United States Post Office Lenox Hill Station is a historic building in New York City. It is located at 217 East 70th Street in the Lenox Hill neighborhood. This area is part of the Upper East Side in Manhattan.
The post office was built in 1935. It was designed by an architect named Eric Kebbon. He used a style called Colonial Revival. Many people think it is one of the best examples of this style in New York State. Because of its special design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
Contents
About the Post Office Building
The post office stands on the north side of East 70th Street. It is in the middle of the block. Large apartment buildings are next to it. Older buildings are across the street.
The building has two main parts. Both parts are three stories tall. The first floor is made of rough limestone blocks. It sits on a granite base. The upper floors are made of brick. They have smooth limestone decorations.
The main part of the building has five sections. The middle three sections stick out a little. They have a pointy roof section called a gable and a stone triangle called a pediment. To the east, there is a smaller section with three parts. It has a rounded arch for a garage entrance.
Outside the Building
On the first floor, the windows face south. They are round-arched windows with three parts. The middle part has two window sashes. Each sash has many small glass panes. The side parts have five panes. Above them are fan-shaped windows. A stone block called a keystone sticks out above each window.
The second floor windows have two sashes with many panes. They have stone railings in front. On the part that sticks out, these windows also have stone triangles or rounded tops. Other windows on this floor have flat stone tops.
The third floor windows are smaller. They have simple stone frames. The middle window on the sticking-out part has a fancy frame. A flagpole sticks out from a stone panel below this window.
The pointy roof section of the main part has limestone trim. Below it, the words "United States Post Office" are carved into the stone. Above this, there is a round carving of an eagle and a shield. The roof is gently sloped and covered in metal.
Inside the Post Office
Granite steps lead up to the main entrances. These steps are on both sides of the part that sticks out. The doors are made of bronze. They have fake fan-shaped windows above them. These windows have eagles carved into them. The original lamps are still there.
The doors open into a small entry area. Its walls are made of rough limestone. The main lobby has a floor made of terrazzo. This floor uses gray, gold, and black marble. The bottom of the walls has green marble. Honey-colored marble columns decorate the room. The ceiling is made of plaster and has square sections.
The doors inside have limestone frames. They have marble panels above them. Small columns divide the teller windows. These windows still have their original bronze grilles. Three of the original customer tables are also still in the lobby. They are made of bronze with glass tops. Their bases have Greek-inspired designs.
Why Was It Built?
The Lenox Hill Post Office was one of 12 post offices built in Manhattan in the mid-1930s. This was during the Great Depression. The government wanted to create jobs for people. In 1930, a law was changed. It allowed the Treasury Department to hire outside architects. This helped unemployed architects find work. Many of these architects designed post offices in the New York City area.
Eric Kebbon was one of these architects. He was hired to design five post offices in Manhattan. Before this, he designed a building for AT&T. Later, he became the architect for New York City's schools. He designed over a hundred school buildings.
Kebbon had a lot of freedom when designing the Lenox Hill post office. This post office serves some of the richest neighborhoods in Manhattan. His design is considered one of the best Colonial Revival post offices in the state. It is similar to another post office he designed, the Planetarium post office. However, the Lenox Hill one has more decorations.
Many parts of this post office are like other New York City post offices. For example, it has a tall main section. It also covers the whole lot it sits on. But unlike many Colonial Revival post offices, it has two entrances on the side of the projecting part. Most others have one entrance in the middle.
