U.S. Post Office (Schenectady, New York)
Encyclopedia
The U.S. Post Office in Schenectady
, New York, is located at Jay and Liberty streets just north of City Hall
. It serves the 12305, 12307 and 12308 ZIP Codes, which covers the city. It is a brick Classical Revival building erected in 1912 and added onto extensively in 1933. At that point in time its main entrance was moved to Jay Street.
Its detailing, particularly the arched windows, inspired a similar design for the neighboring city hall in 1931. The two buildings were later listed together on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1978; in 1989 the post office was listed in its own right.
It is a rectangular building faced limestone
on the south and west and yellow brick elsewhere. A central pavilion is flanked by north and south wings, the latter of which is the main entrance. Both wings have round-arched windows divided by partially engaged Ionic
columns. The former main entrance, on the Liberty Street side, has free-standing Corinthian
columns. At the cornice
is a balustrade.
Inside, the lobby has green marble baseboard
s, white marble wainscoting and a white marble stair with iron railing. The high plaster ceiling's molded
cornice has dentils and modillions, with an eagle on each pilaster
. Bronze mailboxes and oak woodwork round out the interior decoration
.
lines that passed through the city from Albany
on their way west. Residents went to the post office to get their mail until home delivery began in 1887.
The post office had been in several locations until the current site was chosen in 1912, for a large post office for a growing industrial city. The use of the Classical Revival
architectural style
by Treasury Department
supervising architect James Knox Taylor
, while common for new post offices in cities Schenectady's size at the time, was unusual for the city. Only the county courthouse and a few small bank buildings used it.
In 1933 the Post Office decided to expand the structure, a move that expressed confidence in Schenectady's growth since postal receipts were declining at the time due to the Great Depression
. John Ryder reconfigured the building with as little disruption to the original style as possible. The interior was renovated in the 1960s, the only significant change to the building since its construction.
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
, New York, is located at Jay and Liberty streets just north of City Hall
Schenectady City Hall
Schenectady City Hall is the seat of government of the city of Schenectady, New York, United States. Designed by McKim, Mead, and White, the building was constructed between 1931 and 1933. It is located on the block between Clinton, Franklin, Jay and Liberty streets. It is built in a revival of the...
. It serves the 12305, 12307 and 12308 ZIP Codes, which covers the city. It is a brick Classical Revival building erected in 1912 and added onto extensively in 1933. At that point in time its main entrance was moved to Jay Street.
Its detailing, particularly the arched windows, inspired a similar design for the neighboring city hall in 1931. The two buildings were later listed together on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1978; in 1989 the post office was listed in its own right.
Building
The post office occupies most of the block. The neighborhood is densely developed and commercial, with city and county government buildings as well. The terrain is flat.It is a rectangular building faced limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
on the south and west and yellow brick elsewhere. A central pavilion is flanked by north and south wings, the latter of which is the main entrance. Both wings have round-arched windows divided by partially engaged Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
columns. The former main entrance, on the Liberty Street side, has free-standing Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
columns. At the cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
is a balustrade.
Inside, the lobby has green marble baseboard
Baseboard
In architecture, a baseboard is a board covering the lowest part of an interior wall...
s, white marble wainscoting and a white marble stair with iron railing. The high plaster ceiling's molded
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
cornice has dentils and modillions, with an eagle on each pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
. Bronze mailboxes and oak woodwork round out the interior decoration
Ornament (architecture)
In architecture and decorative art, ornament is a decoration used to embellish parts of a building or object. Large figurative elements such as monumental sculpture and their equivalents in decorative art are excluded from the term; most ornament does not include human figures, and if present they...
.
History
The first post office in Schenectady was established in 1793. It handled mail deliveries via stagecoachStagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
lines that passed through the city from Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
on their way west. Residents went to the post office to get their mail until home delivery began in 1887.
The post office had been in several locations until the current site was chosen in 1912, for a large post office for a growing industrial city. The use of the Classical Revival
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
architectural style
Architectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
by Treasury Department
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
supervising architect James Knox Taylor
James Knox Taylor
James Knox Taylor was Supervising Architect of the United States Department of the Treasury from 1897 to 1912. His name is listed ex officio as supervising architect of hundreds of federal buildings built throughout the United States during the period.-Early career:The son of H...
, while common for new post offices in cities Schenectady's size at the time, was unusual for the city. Only the county courthouse and a few small bank buildings used it.
In 1933 the Post Office decided to expand the structure, a move that expressed confidence in Schenectady's growth since postal receipts were declining at the time due to the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. John Ryder reconfigured the building with as little disruption to the original style as possible. The interior was renovated in the 1960s, the only significant change to the building since its construction.