Thursday, October 7, 2010

A beautiful post office: Greenville, PA

[Edit: 11/22/11: I'm guessing people want to see interior shots too, so I might add those shortly.]


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I thought the 1920s post office in Greenville, PA was the most stunning I'd ever come across [after visiting 1,300+ offices]; and I thought I'd share a couple of exterior photos of it with you:


This was the first post office I'd seen with that orange hue. (I came across another, that day, in Niles, Ohio.) Notice the beautifully preserved cornices. The interior is grand as well, featuring more black marble (akin to that surrounds the doors -- see first photo); a well-preserved ornate ceiling; and gorgeous counters supported by decorative wrought iron. This post office was built before the Depression and so features no WPA mural.

10 comments:

  1. Enjoyed your interview on NPR this afternoon. Thank you for sharing your photos and stories of post offices that are threatened with closure.

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  2. Yes, I too came her after hearing your interview on All Things Considered. I'm also an international post office fan so it was great to hear your piece on NPR.
    Mike,
    Murphy, TX (where we have no post office!)

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  3. I'm a Greenville resident, and have always appreciated what our post office adds to our town. To my knowledge, the USPS was seriously considering razing this building and erecting a new one several years ago. Fortunately, their minds were changed and they're in the process of renovating/restoring the exterior.

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  4. I, too, have a passion for post offices (my husband teases me about it), and was mesmerized by your interview today on NPR. Thank you for taking the time to visit so many post offices, for putting together this wonderful photo journal, and for sharing your knowledge with us.

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  5. I grew up in Greenville, and I distinctly remember thinking, as a boy, that this post office was the embodiment of civic grandeur (although I might not have put it in precisely those terms). I miss edifying civic architecture! You should have seen the gorgeous high school in Greenville -- Penn High -- razed, of course, many years back to make room for a bland high rise apartment building for senior citizens.

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  6. What a joy to see those photos of the Greenville post office! I grew up there and still treasure that beautiful town. My high school classmates (Class of 1956)still meet for brunch once a month.

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  7. Thanks for all your research and postings, insluding photos. It was a treat to see the Greeville, PA P.O. Thanks.

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  8. Your interview on NPR yesterday was fascinating...I dropped everything to listen intently. I admire you greatly for trying to help ensure that these character-filled old buildings, with their vital functions, won't be closed or demolished. Will you be posting pictures of the Rozet, Wyoming, Post Office? Thank you for your work on behalf of the Postal Service and the post offices nationwide.

    Judy M., Lubbock, Tx

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  9. Just heard you on BBC. I live in Alexandria VA and we have a couple of real charmers. One on Mt Vernon Ave in Del Ray, scheduled to close and the other on Seminary Road. Not sure of its status.

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  10. I was a resident of Greenville and this beautiful post office was built about 1934 and was part of the WPA program I believe.I was born in 1928 and I remember when it opened. I do not know how Greenville was so fortunate to get this beautiful post office but it is a real asset to the town.

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