National Register of Historic Places

US Post Office-Chehalis Main

Chehalis, Lewis County, Washington
Listed
May 29, 1991
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
91000641

About this property

The Chehalis Post Office is a federal post office in Chehalis, Washington. The Georgian Revival building has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) since 1991. The site has been declared a historic building by the Chehalis Historic Preservation Commission. The post office is the only federal building in the city and was completed and dedicated in 1934. The Chehalis MPO, as it is listed in the NRHP form, was the last post office constructed in Chehalis. The build ended a stretch of perhaps nine different postal locations in the community. The first office was established in 1858 at the homestead of Schuyler and Elizabeth Saunders, the founding family of what later became Chehalis. The brick building was constructed for $97,400 during the Great Depression by the Works Progress Administration. Two stories tall, the structure was one of the last federal Beaux-Arts-style buildings erected and an example of 1930s architecture used by the United States government. The exterior contains several features of note, including numerous semi-circular windows, dormers, a front pediment entrance, as well as various terra cotta designs and motifs. Materials, which included sandstone, were mostly procured in the Pacific Northwest. The interior was built with modern amenities of the time and many features, including flooring and millwork, remain in the present day. The first floor hosts the post office's public duties, and the building contains a basement, mezzanine, and a second floor used for office space. Outside of natural upgrades and maintenance, the Chehalis Post Office is considered to remain in a mostly unaltered state. Located in between two other NRHP-listed sites, the Chehalis Downtown Historic District and the Lewis County Courthouse, the post office serves as a central hub for local mail deliveries and rural routes expanding across Lewis County. The Chehalis Post Office reached first class status in 1937 and mail service has operated continuously in the city since September 1870.

Location

1031 NW. Cascade
Chehalis, Lewis County, Washington
46.66294, -122.96752

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
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

St. Helens Hotel
Industrial
0.1 mi
Lewis County Courthouse
Industrial
0.1 mi
Hillside Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
Chehalis Downtown Historic District
Industrial
0.2 mi
Scout Lodge
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

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

US Post Office-Chehalis Main was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 29, 1991.

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

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

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

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

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

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