United States Post Office (Nyack, New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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U.S. Post Office
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East elevation, 2009
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| Location | Nyack, NY |
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| Nearest city | White Plains |
| Built | 1932 |
| Architect | James Wetmore |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| MPS | US Post Offices in New York State, 1858-1943, TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 88002387 |
| Added to NRHP | 1988 |
The U.S. Post Office in Nyack, New York, is located on South Broadway. It is right in the center of the village. This post office serves the 10960 ZIP Code. This ZIP Code covers Nyack, South Nyack, and Upper Nyack.
The building was constructed in 1932. It was designed in the Classical Revival architectural style. This style was not often used for post offices during that time. Inside the main lobby, you can see several beautiful murals. These paintings show important moments from local history. In 1988, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as a special historic site. In 2004, the post office was renamed. It now honors three brave people who lost their lives in a sad event in 1981.
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Discovering the Post Office Building
The Nyack post office stands near the corner of Broadway and Hudson Avenue. The area around it has many different types of buildings. You can find shops, homes, and other important places nearby. Across Hudson Avenue, there are brick buildings that are three stories tall. A house is located next to the post office's driveway.
Building Design and Materials
The post office is a one-story building. It is made of light brown, or buff-colored, brick. The bricks are laid in a special pattern called Flemish bond. The building sits on a raised basement. This basement is covered with limestone. The front of the building faces east. It has a central section with five window areas. On each side of this central part, there is a smaller wing.
Limestone is also used for the decorative corners, called quoins. It frames the windows too. Above and below each window, there are special recessed panels. A cornice made of limestone runs along the roofline. It has blocks and a low wall, called a parapet. The words "UNITED STATES POST OFFICE NYACK NEW YORK 10960" are written in shiny gold letters on the top part, called the frieze.
The side wings of the building have similar limestone decorations. However, they do not have the same cornice or recessed panels. The back of the building has four window areas. It ends with a loading dock for mail trucks.
Inside the Post Office Lobby
To enter the post office, you walk up a set of stairs. These stairs have beautiful bronze railings in a classical style. Low stone walls with special lamps shaped like tripods are also part of the entrance. The main entrance is in the middle of the building. It has a single metal and glass door. Above the door is a transom made of similar material. The door is set back between two pilasters. These are like flat columns with vertical grooves, called fluting. They are in the Doric style.
After entering, you pass through a wooden vestibule and a small foyer. These lead you into the main lobby. The floor of the lobby is made of terrazzo. It has a cool checkerboard pattern. The lower part of the walls, up to about seven feet (2.3 meters) high, is covered with white marble. This marble has gray veins. The upper parts of the walls are plaster. They have a decorative cornice near the ceiling.
Art and History on the Walls
On three of the lobby walls—the north, east, and south sides—you can see amazing murals. These paintings were created by an artist named Jacob Getlar Smith. They show scenes from the history of the local area. One mural shows Native Americans watching Henry Hudson sail his ship, the Halve Maen, up the river. Another shows Dutch settlers building a log cabin. A third mural depicts John André meeting Benedict Arnold. The murals on the north and east walls also have decorative metal screens, called grilles. Two original round tables, made of bronze and glass, are still in the lobby for customers to use.
History of the Nyack Post Office
The very first post office in the Nyack area opened in 1835. It was part of a store in what is now Upper Nyack. In 1870, the Erie Railroad was completed through the area. This made it easier for people to travel to New York City. Many people who used to visit Nyack only in the summer started building large homes there. They lived there all year, enjoying the views of the Hudson River.
Planning and Construction
In 1910, the U.S. Congress approved plans for a permanent post office in Nyack. However, it was not built at that time. The approval was given again in 1926. Construction finally began in 1931, as the Great Depression was starting. The new post office officially opened its doors the following year, in 1932.
The building was designed under the direction of James Wetmore. He was the Acting Supervising Architect for the Treasury Department. Mr. Wetmore was mainly a lawyer. The actual artistic ideas for the Treasury buildings often came from Louis A. Simon. He later became the Supervising Architect in 1935.
It was unusual to choose the Classical Revival style for this building. After World War I, the Treasury Department started to prefer the newer Colonial Revival style for post offices. This was especially true for post offices in smaller towns like Nyack. Sometimes, classical details were mixed with more modern designs for post offices in bigger cities.
Changes Over Time
Jacob Getlar Smith's murals were added to the lobby in 1936. He had originally planned for the murals to cover all the walls. He also wanted smaller paintings above the teller windows. If these smaller panels were ever finished and put up, they are no longer there.
The inside of the post office has not changed much. Modern heating systems and new lockboxes have been added. On the outside, the original double bronze doors have been replaced with a new door. A wheelchair ramp was also installed at the front of the building. This makes it easier for everyone to access the post office.
Renaming the Building
In 2004, Senator Charles Schumer and Representative Eliot Engel helped pass a law. This law officially renamed the building the "Edward J. O'Grady, Jr., Waverly Brown, Peter Paige Post Office Building." This was done to remember two local police officers and a security guard. They were tragically killed in 1981 during an event at the nearby Nanuet Mall. A special ceremony was held in May 2004. Family members of the honored individuals spoke at this event.
