National Register of Historic Places

US Post Office-Centralia Main

Centralia, Lewis County, Washington
Listed
August 6, 1991
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
91000640

About this property

The Centralia Post Office is a federal post office in Centralia, Washington. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1991. Centralia's post office history began with delivered mail possibly as early as 1851, with an official post office created in 1857 that was located at Fords Prairie under the name, Skookumchuck. Before the federal post office was constructed, the mail center shifted locations more than a dozen times and often in just a year's time. As the city of Centralia was formed, post office locations became more stable but continued to relocate. With exception of a brief closure between 1865 and 1866, the Centralia post office system has operated continuously since October 1854. The Centralia MPO, as it is listed in the NRHP form, was completed in 1937 after several attempts to provide a permanent post office building to the city. Featuring Tenino sandstone details, the $76,000 red brick structure's architecture is considered Moderne and Starved classical. The one-story building is noted for its sandstone relief panels featuring important modes of transportation of the time and a large granite stairway. The interior features a large mural, Industries of Lewis County, created by Kenneth Callahan. Outside of necessary upgrades and renovations for issues relating to age or lack of space, the post office is considered to be in a mostly unaltered state. The federal building is located near two NRHP-listed sites, the Centralia Downtown Historic District and the sculpture, The Sentinel, located across from the post office in George Washington Park.

Location

214 W. Locust
Centralia, Lewis County, Washington
46.71540, -122.95689

Categories

ARTPOLITICS/GOVERNMENT
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

The Sentinel
Listed
0.1 mi
Centralia Downtown Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
Olympic Club Saloon
Industrial
0.2 mi
Centralia Union Depot
Civil War
0.2 mi
Birge, George E., House
Industrial
0.6 mi

Questions about this property

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

US Post Office-Centralia Main was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 6, 1991.

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

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

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

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

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

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