United States Post Office–Great Barrington Main facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
US Post Office, Great Barrington Main
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Massachusetts Show map of Massachusetts Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	222 Main St., Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Area	less than one acre
Built	1935 (1935)
Architect	Louis A. Simon, Lorimer Rich
NRHP reference No.	86000163
Added to NRHP	January 10, 1986

The US Post Office–Great Barrington Main is a really old and important building in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. You can find it at 222 Main Street. A famous architect named Lorimer Rich designed it, and it was finished in 1936. This post office is special because its design is quite unique. At that time, the United States Postal Service usually built post offices using the same basic plans to save money. But this building was different! It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, which means it's recognized as a historically important place.

What Does It Look Like?

The Great Barrington Main Post Office is right in the middle of downtown Great Barrington. It's on the west side of Main Street, where it meets Dresser Avenue. The building is mostly made of brick. It also has cool details made from marble, wood, and concrete.

The building is shaped like a rectangle. In the front, there's a wooden porch called a portico. This porch sticks out from the middle of the building. It has strong columns that hold it up, giving shelter to the main entrance. These columns are made of concrete. The steps leading up to the entrance are made of granite. You can also see beautiful marble decorations on the walls of the building.

Inside the Post Office

When you go inside, you'll find the postmaster's office on your left. The walls on the right side have many post office boxes. They are arranged in an "L" shape. The back part of the building is where all the mail gets sorted and processed. This area is separate from the public space by a service counter.

A Bit of History

Great Barrington has been an important town in southern Berkshire County for a long time. It has been a major economic center since the early 1800s. Because of this, people in Great Barrington have had postal service since 1797!

Before this special building was constructed, postal services were held in different places. Sometimes they were in rented shops. Other times, the postmaster would run the post office from their own home. It was even located in the local deed registry at one point!

Designing a Unique Building

The current post office building was designed by architect Lorimer Rich in 1935. It was completed in 1936 by a builder named D.A. Sullivan from Northampton.

In 1934, the Postal Service decided that all new post offices should use standard designs. These plans came from the Treasury Department's Office of the Supervising Architect. But Lorimer Rich changed one of these standard plans. He gave this building its unique neo-Classical design. That's why it stands out from other post offices built around the same time!