United States Post Office (Poughkeepsie, New York)
January 01, 1970
The main U.S. Post Office, Poughkeepsie, New York, is located at the intersection of Market and Mansion Streets downtown; the address is 55 Mansion Street. The New Deal post office serves the 12601 ZIP Code, which covers the city of Poughkeepsie, New York and portions of the Town of Poughkeepsie adjacent to the city. It employs a hundred people and handles 300,000 pieces of mail a day and 10 million a year.[2]
Gerald Foster's study for the 1939 mural titled Indian Resting Spot. The painting depicts a 1690 scene at "the reed covered lodge by the spring place", Poughkeepsie.[3]
The building was the second of five post offices in Dutchess County built during the New Deal. It was the first for which President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a native of Hyde Park, took a close personal interest in the design. He had written in 1928 of his desire to preserve the stone buildings in the Hudson Valley built by early Dutch settlers of the region, including his ancestors, which he feared was disappearing. The simple and modest style of the stone houses built by all those early settlers regardless of wealth was, to him, an example that should be followed by everyone.[4]
Earlier in the decade, nearby Beacon had received a new post office in local fieldstone designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood. When Poughkeepsie's turn came, Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau demanded that it be made of irregular fieldstone in the Dutch style, modeled after a demolished county courthouse that had been built in 1809. ArchitectEric Kebbon followed the design but originally turned in a building that was to use granite. Roosevelt personally ordered him to redesign it to his specifications and would not let construction proceed until it was.[5]
Roosevelt speaking at the dedication
Roosevelt laid the cornerstone himself at a dedication ceremony during celebrations of the 250th anniversary of Poughkeepsie's settlement on October 13, 1937. Five hundred workers would spend the next two years building the 63,000-square foot (5,670 m²) structure.[2]
The final building included a lobby with five murals painted by artists commissioned by the Section of Fine Arts.[6] The paintings depict scenes in local and state history, including the ratification of the United States Constitution by New York.[7] The success of its design inspired Roosevelt to push for similar stone post office buildings in other Dutchess County towns along the river, and it influenced the similar design of new offices built nearby for the Poughkeepsie Journal newspaper. The Smithsonian Institution chose it as one of ten New York post offices among the five hundred most beautiful in the country.[2] It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1989.
On October 22, 2008, the cupola, undergoing renovation at the time, was damaged by a fire, causing the building to be closed for a few days. The rest of the building remained undamaged. City fire investigators said the likely cause was accidental, from heat guns used by the painters working on it.[8]
^Address based on USPS website. Accessed March 31, 2016.
^ abc Desai, Jay (1996). . Building America: Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal. Marist College, The 1996 Summer Scholars. Archived from the original on 2006-10-20.
^"Competition for Two Murals for the Decoration of the Poughkeepsie, New York Post Office—Second Notice". Bulletin Number 18. Washington, D.C.: Section of Fine Arts, Treasury Department. February 1939. p. 14. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
^"FDR and Dutchess County Stone Buildings". p. 3. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
^"FDR and Dutchess County Stone Buildings". p. 6. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
^"Post Office Murals – Poughkeepsie NY". The Living New Deal. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
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The main U S Post Office Poughkeepsie New York is located at the intersection of Market and Mansion Streets downtown the address is 55 Mansion Street The New Deal post office serves the 12601 ZIP Code which covers the city of Poughkeepsie New York and portions of the Town of Poughkeepsie adjacent to the city It employs a hundred people and handles 300 000 pieces of mail a day and 10 million a year 2 U S Post OfficeU S National Register of Historic PlacesPost office viewed looking north on Market Street 2007Location55 Mansion St 1 Poughkeepsie NYCoordinates41 42 21 N 73 55 40 W 41 70583 N 73 92778 W 41 70583 73 92778Built1937 1939ArchitectGerald Foster Eric KebbonArchitectural styleColonial RevivalMPSUS Post Offices in New York State 1858 1943 TRNRHP reference No 88002413Added to NRHP1989 Contents 1 History 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksHistory edit nbsp Gerald Foster s study for the 1939 mural titled Indian Resting Spot The painting depicts a 1690 scene at the reed covered lodge by the spring place Poughkeepsie 3 The building was the second of five post offices in Dutchess County built during the New Deal It was the first for which President Franklin D Roosevelt a native of Hyde Park took a close personal interest in the design He had written in 1928 of his desire to preserve the stone buildings in the Hudson Valley built by early Dutch settlers of the region including his ancestors which he feared was disappearing The simple and modest style of the stone houses built by all those early settlers regardless of wealth was to him an example that should be followed by everyone 4 Earlier in the decade nearby Beacon had received a new post office in local fieldstone designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood When Poughkeepsie s turn came Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau demanded that it be made of irregular fieldstone in the Dutch style modeled after a demolished county courthouse that had been built in 1809 Architect Eric Kebbon followed the design but originally turned in a building that was to use granite Roosevelt personally ordered him to redesign it to his specifications and would not let construction proceed until it was 5 nbsp Roosevelt speaking at the dedication Roosevelt laid the cornerstone himself at a dedication ceremony during celebrations of the 250th anniversary of Poughkeepsie s settlement on October 13 1937 Five hundred workers would spend the next two years building the 63 000 square foot 5 670 m structure 2 The final building included a lobby with five murals painted by artists commissioned by the Section of Fine Arts 6 The paintings depict scenes in local and state history including the ratification of the United States Constitution by New York 7 The success of its design inspired Roosevelt to push for similar stone post office buildings in other Dutchess County towns along the river and it influenced the similar design of new offices built nearby for the Poughkeepsie Journal newspaper The Smithsonian Institution chose it as one of ten New York post offices among the five hundred most beautiful in the country 2 It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1989 On October 22 2008 the cupola undergoing renovation at the time was damaged by a fire causing the building to be closed for a few days The rest of the building remained undamaged City fire investigators said the likely cause was accidental from heat guns used by the painters working on it 8 See also edit nbsp Hudson Valley portal Other Hudson Valley post offices whose design Roosevelt influenced Ellenville Hyde Park Rhinebeck Wappingers Falls Now used as a municipal building References edit Address based on USPS website Accessed March 31 2016 a b c Desai Jay 1996 The Deal That Keeps On Giving Hudson Valley New Deal Projects Still on the Job Building America Franklin Delano Roosevelt s New Deal Marist College The 1996 Summer Scholars Archived from the original on 2006 10 20 Competition for Two Murals for the Decoration of the Poughkeepsie New York Post Office Second Notice Bulletin Number 18 Washington D C Section of Fine Arts Treasury Department February 1939 p 14 Retrieved December 8 2022 FDR and Dutchess County Stone Buildings p 3 Retrieved 2007 11 11 FDR and Dutchess County Stone Buildings p 6 Retrieved 2007 11 11 Post Office Murals Poughkeepsie NY The Living New Deal Retrieved December 8 2022 https teachingamericanhistory org resources ratification newyork Teaching American History page on New York s ratification Fire at post office probably caused by heat guns wind Poughkeepsie Journal Gannett Co 2008 10 22 Retrieved 2008 10 22 External links edit nbsp Media related to United States Post Office Poughkeepsie New York at Wikimedia Commons Post Office Poughkeepsie NY at The Living New Deal Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title United States Post Office Poughkeepsie New York amp oldid 1187465334, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
