National Register of Historic Places

Old Post Office Block

Manchester, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
Listed
December 1, 1986
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
86003364

About this property

The Old Post Office Block is a historic commercial building at 54-72 Hanover Street in Manchester, New Hampshire. Built in 1876, it is a local landmark of Victorian Italianate commercial architecture, serving as the main post office, and as a newspaper publishing house for many years. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. The Old Post Office Block is located in Manchester's downtown business district, on the north side of Hanover Street between two other historic buildings, the Harrington-Smith Block (once home to the Strand Theater) and the Palace Theatre. It is three stories in height, built out of brick with a projecting bracketed cornice at the top of its facade. The facade is fifteen bays wide, divided into groups of five by brick pilasters. The outer groups have second-floor windows with peaked lintels, and third-floor windows with shouldered flat lintels. The central section windows are more elaborately finished, with some lancet-arched surrounds. The block was constructed in 1876, built to serve both as a post office, and as home to the presses of the Mirror newspaper. It housed the newspaper operation until 1924, and the post office until 1891. In the mid-20th century it housed one of the city's largest department stores. The building's architect is not known, but may have been George W. Stevens, an engineer for the Amoskeag Mills, or Alpheus Gay, a builder who is credited with several high style Italianate buildings in the city, including his own house. National Register of Historic Places listings in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire

Location

54--72 Hanover St.
Manchester, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
42.99116, -71.46160

Categories

ARCHITECTURECOMMUNICATIONS
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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Old Post Office Block

This page lists Old Post Office Block. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Old Post Office Block report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Harrington-Smith Block
Industrial
0 mi
Athens Building
Industrial
0 mi
Dunlap Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Manchester City Hall
Industrial
0.1 mi
Victory Park Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Stark's March to Bennington
1777Revolutionary War
14.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Old Post Office Block listed on the National Register?

Old Post Office Block was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 1, 1986.

What type of historic resource is Old Post Office Block?

Old Post Office Block is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Old Post Office Block?

The period of significance for Old Post Office Block is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Old Post Office Block?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Old Post Office Block will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Hillsborough County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Hillsborough County.

Explore HillsboroughCounty ›

More historic places in New Hampshire

Browse all historic places in New Hampshire.

View New Hampshirehistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

New Hampshire history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

New Hampshirehistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Old Post Office Block will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report