United States Post Office (Peekskill, New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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United States Post Office
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South elevation with Palladian windows, 2008
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Peekskill, New York |
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| Built | 1931 |
| Architect | Office of the Supervising Architect under James A. Wetmore |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| MPS | US Post Offices in New York State, 1858-1943, TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 88002401 |
| Added to NRHP | May 11, 1989 |
The United States Post Office in Peekskill, New York, is a historic building on South Street. It's a brick building designed in the Colonial Revival style. This style looks back to the architecture of early American homes. The post office serves the 10566 ZIP Code, which covers Peekskill and parts of Cortlandt.
This building was constructed in 1931, during the early years of the Great Depression. The government built it to create jobs and help the economy. Its unique arch-shaped windows on the front are special for a post office built before Franklin D. Roosevelt became president. Because of its importance, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
Contents
What the Building Looks Like
The Peekskill Post Office stands on the north side of South Street. It's on its own large, triangle-shaped piece of land. The ground gently slopes down towards the north. Across the street, you can see the Peekskill Presbyterian Church and other buildings. Tall oak trees stand in front of the post office, making it look grand.
Outside the Building
The building is one story tall and made of brick. It has special details made of limestone and wood. The front of the building, which faces south, has a part that sticks out. This part features three large, arched windows. These windows have a unique design with a fan-like pattern above them. This style was popular in English Neoclassical architecture.
On either side of this central part, there are two regular rectangular windows. Below these front windows, there are decorative railings and metal fences. These fences are around small openings that let light into the basement.
Above the arched windows, you can read "UNITED STATES POST OFFICE" in metal letters. There's also a decorative limestone band with geometric shapes. The roofline has a simple edge, topped with a brick wall. This wall has stone railings above the three central windows.
The side of the building on the east also has similar arched windows. On the west side, there's one window like the others. A large section sticks out from this side, which is used as a loading dock. This section wraps around to the back of the building.
Stone steps lead up to the main entrance. They are flanked by old-fashioned metal lampposts. The modern glass door is framed by columns that look like they belong to the Doric order. These columns support a simple decorative band and a toothed edge. Above this, there's another arch design, similar to the ones on the windows.
Inside the Building
When you step inside, you'll find a lobby with marble on the lower part of the walls. The ceilings are high and made of plaster, with a deep decorative edge. The windows inside have beautiful wood carvings in a style called Adamesque. There's also a large Palladian window on one of the inside walls. The entrance to the postmaster's office has two narrow, fluted columns. These columns support blocks with carved urns and a decorative hanging design.
History of the Post Office
The land where the post office stands was first used for postal services in 1911. A few years earlier, in 1908, the government bought the land. They wanted to move the post office from its old spot. An existing Victorian house on the site was updated for the post office. This was unusual because the government usually built new buildings instead of fixing up old ones.
In 1928, plans for the current building were approved. They were approved again in 1930. The second time, $165,000 was set aside for construction. This was an early effort to help the country during the Great Depression. Construction started later that year, and the building opened in 1931.
The building was designed by the Office of the Supervising Architect, led by James A. Wetmore. It's thought that Louis A. Simon might have been the main designer. The design used a free version of the "Colonial Revival" style. This style had been common for new post offices since 1915. However, the Peekskill design stands out because it uses clear neoclassical "Adam" features. These include the special brickwork and the unique windows. These window designs weren't seen on other post offices in New York, like the one in Warsaw, until the New Deal programs started several years later.
In 1967, a large section was added to the north and west sides of the building. This new part was designed to match the original building's style. However, it's not considered part of the original historic listing because it was built much later.
Images for kids
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Warsaw post office
