National Register of Historic Places

U.S. Post Office

Berkeley, Alameda County, California
Listed
January 29, 1981
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
81000144

About this property

The U.S. Post Office, also known as the Berkeley Main Post Office, is a local branch of the United States Postal Service. The building, located at 2000 Allston Way, Berkeley, California, was built in 1914–15. The building has been described as a "free adaptation of Brunelleschi's Foundling Hospital." Designed in the Second Renaissance Revival style, the front of the building features terra cotta arches supported by plain tuscan columns. The Post Office is within the Civic Center Historic District, a five block area listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district is a locally significant ensemble of harmoniously planned civic buildings that retains a high degree of integrity since achieving significance in 1950. The post office, along with the "Old" City Hall (1909) in the Beaux-Arts style, is among the earliest and the most decorative of the thirteen buildings in the district. The architect is unknown but Oscar Wenderoth is listed on the cornerstone as he was director of the Office of the Supervising Architect that designed this and many other federal government buildings. The floor space doubled with the completion of the annex in 1932. A few years later, the Treasury Relief Art Project commissioned a sculpture and a mural for the lobby. Both are well-preserved examples of the styles, subjects and dominant themes of New Deal Art. The post office was designated Berkeley Landmark No. 38 on June 16, 1980, by the Landmarks Preservation Commission and added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 29, 1981.

Location

2000 Milvia St.
Berkeley, Alameda County, California
37.86868, -122.27015

Categories

ARTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Berkeley Historic Civic Center District
Listed
0.1 mi
Berkeley Public Library
Industrial
0.1 mi
Boone's University School
Industrial
0.1 mi
Corder Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Chamber of Commerce Building
Industrial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was U.S. Post Office listed on the National Register?

U.S. Post Office was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 29, 1981.

What type of historic resource is U.S. Post Office?

U.S. Post Office is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for U.S. Post Office?

The period of significance for U.S. Post Office is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near U.S. Post Office?

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