National Register of Historic Places

US Post Office-New London Main

New London, New London County, Connecticut
Listed
January 21, 1986
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
86000124

About this property

The U.S. Post Office-New London Main is located at 27 Masonic Street in New London, Connecticut. Completed in 1934 as part of a Depression-era jobs program, it is one of the small number of such post offices designed by a private architectural firm, Payne & Keefe. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. New London's main post office is located in the downtown area, at the northeast corner of Masonic and Union Streets. It is a three-story steel-framed structure, finished in limestone on the ground floor, and in brick with limestone trim (notably pilasters and corner quoining) on the upper levels. Its main entrance is highlighted by bronze Art Deco panels of eagles, eagles carved in limestone, and a pair of Art Deco lights on stone stands. The main lobby is decorated with Greek-themed Art Deco work, with multicolored marble floors. Murals depicting whaling activities line the walls. The building was designed by the local firm of Payne & Keefe, and built in 1933-34 pursuant to the terms of the Public Buildings Act, which amended the Public Buildings Act of 1926 to allow buildings designed by non-government architects. The murals, considered among the finest Depression-era post office murals in the state, were funded by a Public Works of Art Project grant, executed by Thomas Sergeant La Farge, and installed in 1938. The principal alteration to the building exterior is the addition of a loading dock in 1977; the property was also expanded by the purchase of an adjacent lot for parking. National Register of Historic Places listings in New London County, Connecticut Media related to Main Post Office (New London, Connecticut) at Wikimedia Commons

Location

27 Masonic St.
New London, New London County, Connecticut
41.35544, -72.09617

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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Nearby Historic Sites

Downtown New London Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
Barns, Acors, House
Industrial
0.2 mi
New London Public Library
Industrial
0.2 mi
Huntington Street Baptist Church
Industrial
0.2 mi
Whale Oil Row
Listed
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

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

US Post Office-New London Main was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 21, 1986.

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

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

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

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

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

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