National Register of Historic Places

US Post Office-Porterville Main

Porterville, Tulare County, California
Listed
January 11, 1985
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
85000141

About this property

The U.S. Post Office, located at 65 W. Mill Ave., is the main post office in Porterville, California. Built from 1933 to 1937, the post office was designed by H. Rafael Lake in the Art Deco style. The design features decorative terra cotta plaques over the windows and cast aluminum plaques below the front windows, decorative features used in no other building in Porterville. A terra cotta frieze atop the front entry features eagle and acanthus motifs borrowed from Roman designs and a sunrise pattern typical of Art Deco decorations. The building is topped with a green tile roof, an unusual element in Art Deco buildings which is consistent with the vernacular Mission Revival style common in Porterville architecture. The post office is one of three Art Deco post offices remaining in California. The post office was added to the National Register of Historic Places as US Post Office–Porterville Main on January 11, 1985.

Location

65 W. Mill Ave.
Porterville, Tulare County, California
36.06860, -119.01793

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
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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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
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Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
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Rivers & Rail
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Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Nearby Historic Sites

Zalud House
Industrial
0.3 mi
First Congregational Church
Industrial
0.3 mi
Elster, C. A., Building
Industrial
12 mi
Exeter Public Library
Industrial
16.9 mi
Tulare Union High School Auditorium and Administration Building
Civil War
20.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was US Post Office-Porterville Main listed on the National Register?

US Post Office-Porterville Main was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 11, 1985.

What type of historic resource is US Post Office-Porterville Main?

US Post Office-Porterville Main is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for US Post Office-Porterville Main?

The period of significance for US Post Office-Porterville Main is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near US Post Office-Porterville Main?

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