Nomination for US Post Office--Holyoke Main

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Form No. 10-306 (Rev. 10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OFTHE INTERIOR FOR NPS USE ONLY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES RECEIVED DEC 1/ 1985 INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM FOR FEDERAL PROPERTIES DATE ENTERED JAN 2/ 1986 SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES -- COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS NAME HISTORIC United States Post Office AND/OR COMMON Holyoke Main Post Office 2 LOCATION STREET & NUMBER 650 Dwight Street CITY.

TOWN 3 Holyoke STATE Massachusetts 01040 CLASSIFICATION N/AVICINITY OF CODE 0500 N/A _NOT FOR PUBLICATION CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT First Congressional District COUNTY CODE Hampden and Hampshire 013 CATEGORY XDISTRICT _BUILDING(S) STRUCTURE SITE OBJECT OWNERSHIP PUBLIC _PRIVATE _BOTH PUBLIC ACQUISITION N/A IN PROCESS _BEING CONSIDERED STATUS XOCCUPIED _UNOCCUPIED _WORK IN PROGRESS ACCESSIBLE X-YES: RESTRICTED _YES: UNRESTRICTED -NO PRESENT USE AGRICULTURE -MUSEUM _COMMERCIAL -PARK _EDUCATIONAL _PRIVATE RESIDENCE ENTERTAINMENT RELIGIOUS _GOVERNMENT _SCIENTIFIC INDUSTRIAL -TRANSPORTATION -MILITARY _OTHER: 4 AGENCY REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS: (If applicable) New England Field Real Estate and Buildings Office STREET & NUMBER 1050 Waltham Street CITY. TOWN Lexington N/A VICINITY OF LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION STATE Massachusetts 02173 COURTHOUSE. REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC.

Hampden City Hall of Justice STREET & NUMBER 50 State Street CITY. TOWN STATE Massachusetts 01103 Springfield REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE None DATE -FEDERALSTATE COUNTY_LOCAL DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS CITY TOWN STATE DESCRIPTION CONDITION _EXCELLENT XGOOD FAIR DETERIORATED _RUINS _UNEXPOSED CHECK ONE _UNALTERED XALTERED CHECK ONE XORIGINAL SITE _MOVED DATE DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

The Main Post Office in Holyoke, Massachusetts is located on the northern edge of the Central Business District of Holyoke in the heart of a diverse blend of activities. Commercial ventures such as banks, department stores, funeral homes, a theater, and an auto dealership are in the immediate vicinity along with a church, a school, and a number of apartment buildings. Most are three and four story structures. Apartment buildings were once located where the Post Office stands today. 10. At the time of its' construction in July of 1933, it was considered a "modernistic" building. It occupies approximately 20,500 square feet of the one acre lot. The central portion of the building is two stories in height with one story wings on either side. The exterior facade is limestone with five windows, the middle three being two stories in height.

This large limestone edifice has two entrances located at opposite ends of the two story main section of the Post Office. The original bronze frame and transom is complimented by the new bronze colored aluminum and glass doors. Framing each set of doors is a simple yet dominating pediment. Also above the transom of each entrance is a carved panel depicting an eagle with wings spread. Between the two entrances are three sections of an "industrial type" metal frame and glass windows. The windows start at approximately writing table height in the lobby and continue through to offices on the second floor. ( At the second floor level is an opaque spandrel panel. The windows are set in a recess which step back five times at the jambs and once at the head and sill.

The sill section protrudes beyond the face of the building to the face of the granite foundation which runs continuous but slopes in at sections that are not under windows. The platform and stairs at the entrance are pink granite, as is the foundation. Iwo large plinths sit on either side ore stair of stairs and the stairs warp around them in the front. The handrail is an unornamented brass pipe rail. Above the entrance and windows of the main section is carved section of this impressive entablature is the name of the facility and on either side of it is a small carved section depicting birds flying over the earth. The "cap" of the building is a zigzag pattern which recesses back to the facia strip at the roof level. The two wings are similar but are one story. The front doors lead into the vestibule and lobby.

Directly in back of the postal screen is the main post office workroom, some 79 feet. by 186 feet long, lighted by its large windows and originally, by generous skylights. These skylights have been covered over due to leaking and energy efficiency. At the rear of the workroom are toilet accommodations, smaller workrooms, and two stairways to the basement at the employee's entrance. Four double doors lead from the central vestibule to the large mailing platform with its protective marquise. The second floor occupies approximately 5,400 square feet with wood and glass partition offices that were once utilized by selective service agencies, civil service, and post office inspectors.

Due to the lack of a second means NPS Form 10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Continuation sheet HOLYOKE MAIN POST OFFICE Item number 7 OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-84 For NPS use only received date entered Page 2 of egress, this area is virtually unused today. Its only access is served from a staircase on the northwest end of the lobby. The lobby is not in as pristine a condition as is the exterior. The floor and base are terrazzo, with a marble wainseot. The wainscot extends above the service windows and post boxes and is carved and painted with gold leaf telling how each section is utilized. The pediment at the Postmaster's door is also marble with his title carved and painted gold. Around the pediment is a mural done in 1936 by Ross Moffett depicting a landing by early settlers.

At the ceiling is an elaborated molded plaster frieze which is painted. The building is in good condition. Alterations have been minimal and incorporated as the need for energy efficiency for working conditions dictate. All of the original steel and plate glass windows have been replaced with bronze, metal frame, insulated ones that do not detract from the original intent of the building design. In 1981, a new roofing membrane was installed and in a previous year a lift was added to the loading platform. Part of the basement has been converted into a garage for mail delivery vehicles.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD PREHISTORIC -1400-1499 _1500-1599 .1600-1699 -1700-1799 -1800-1899 X1900- _ARCHEOLOGY-PREHISTORIC ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC AGRICULTURE XARCHITECTURE ART _COMMERCE _COMMUNICATIONS AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE -- CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW COMMUNITY PLANNING _LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE _CONSERVATION LLAW -ECONOMICS _LITERATURE _EDUCATION _MILITARY ENGINEERING MUSIC _EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT _.PHILOSOPHY LINDUSTRY _POLITICS/GOVERNMENT LINVENTION -RELIGION _SCIENCE .SCULPTURE _SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN _THEATER _TRANSPORTATION _OTHER (SPECIEVI SPECIFIC DATES Designed: 1933 BUILDER

Statement of significance

/ARCHITECT Began Constr. Nov. 1933 and Completed 1934 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Tremaglio Brothers, Builders George P.B. Alderman & Co. of Holyoke and Thomas M. James & Co. of Boston, MA The Main Post Office on Dwight Street in Holyoke, Massachusetts is a fine example fo Art Deco style of Architecture. Considered a modernistic building of its time, the Holyoke Post Office was styled after the Art Deco Folger-Shakespeare library in Washington, D.C., then one of the new prize winning showplaces of the capitol. The building was designed to be dependent on simple architectural effect rather than on cornices, columns, and lavish ornamentation. Such an effect is produced through the use of proportion, stone jointing, slight breaks, and shallow reveals. The use of lines and uncomplicated carvings gives one a sense of appreciation of puristic design.

Given its immense size, it would be very easy to become overwhelmed with an abundance of complex and inappropriate detail. From its initial conception, the building has been recognized and appreciated by the general public of Holyoke. When construction funding appeared to be a limiting factor, the architects, George P.B. Alderman and Company of Holyoke and Thomas M. James and Company of Boston, proposed that the rear be constructed of brick rather than limestone; a savings of $4,000.00. This sparked a large outery that swept the front and editorial pages of local newspapers. Apppeals of "the New England tradition of building a house four-square" and committees dedicated to the beautification of Holyoke's buildings besieged Mayor Henry J. Toepfert's office.

Fortunately a low bid from the Tremaglio Brothers Contracting Company of Waterbury, Connecticut ensured the four-sided limestone construction. The site location was also a controversial issue on the local and national scene. The present site at Dwight Street was originally opposed by the Mayor's office and several citizens groups, each with their own prejudices. Some twenty (20) sites were considered and only when the Treasury Department threatened to withdraw the entire project did the Dwight Street site win unaminous approval. The Main Post Office building at Holyoke is a significant example of the Art Deco style and construction. The entry of this building on the National Register of Historic Places will aid the preservation of a unique building in revitalized streetscapes of Holyoke.

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES History of Post Office Construction 1900-1940, July, 1982 Craig, Lois, ed., The Federal Presence: Architecture, Politics and Symbols in the United States Government Building, Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 1979 10 GEOGRAPHICAL DATA ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY. 1 UTM REFERENCES AL1,81 1619,7269 14,617,5143,0 ZONE EASTING NORTHING Ieli ASTING LLILJLILILu VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION Located between Chestnut and Elm Streets along Dwight Street, the site is rectangular with the 110'-6" x 190'-0" building. Frontage along Dwight Street is approximately 260' with 210'+ on Elm Street and 180't on Chestnut Street. LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE CODE COUNTY CODE STATE CODE COUNTY CODE I FORM PREPARED BY NAME/ TITLE Robert W. St. John, Architect ORGANIZATION SULLIVAN DESIGN GROUP, INC.

STREET & NUMBER DATE July 15, 1985 TELEPHONE 44 Adams Street CITY OR TOWN Braintree (617) 848-154: TATI Massachusetts 12 CERTIFICATION OF NOMINATION STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER RECOMMENDATION YES NO NONE X Value A 9| 19|85 STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER SIGNATURE In compliance with Executive Order 11593. I hereby nominate this property to the National Register, certifying that the State Historic Preservation Officer has been allowed 90 days in which to present the nomination to the State Review Board and to evaluate its significance. The evaluated level of significance is _ _National - State Local. FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVE SIGNATURE TITL T.

oe Director, Office of Real DATE Estate 12/6/85 FOR NPS/USE ONLY THEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS PROPERTY IS INCLUDED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER ratuck Andeus MATTEY DATE DATE 1/21/66 1-16-86 FAL REGISTER GPO 899-214 Drive thru bank 4 1/2 story brick residence Two story brick commercial building 190'-0" Gas station Chestnut Street 110'-6" Dwight Street Park Parking Parking 1. Vestibule 2. Lobby 3. Postmaster 4. Workroom 5.

Mail Vestibule 3 1/2 story brick school 3 story brick school UNITED STATES POST OFFICE - HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS 4 1/2 story brick residence 2 1/2 story brick and siding commercial building WASO Form - 177 (""R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE RJ.#E6000122 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET United States Post Office--Holyoke Main Hampden County MASSACHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive RevieWorking No._ 12-11-85 Fed. Reg. Date: 2/3/82 Date Due: - (16/86 - 1/25/86 Action: LACCEPT - 1-21-86 -RETURN _REJECT Federal Agency: - _U.S. Postal Service Substantive Review: #sample J request appeal L NR decision includes accept C windowe, decoratwe ban pelt eeale ehn doore. On the inteinoa.

-7-86 arefecterel Historg ua 1926 mural by Rors moffett depicting _ see continuation sheet Nomination returned for: - _ technical corrections cited below the landing of early pettlere. _substantive reasons discussed below 1. Name 2. Location 3. Classification Category Ownership Public Acquisition Status Accessible Present Use 4. Owner of Property 5. Location of Legal Description 6. Representation in Existing Surveys Has this property been determined eligible? yes no 7. Description Condition excellent good fair deteriorated ruins unexposed Check one - unaltered -altered Check one Loriginal site - moved date Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates boundary selection 8.

Significance Period Areas of Significance-Check and justify below Specific dates Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) Builder/Architect summary paragraph completeness clarity applicable criteria justification of areas checked relating significance to the resource context relationship of integrity to significance justification of exception other 00l76 9. Major Bibliographical References 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property Quadrangle name UTM References Verbal boundary description and justification 11. Form Prepared By 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: _ national state local State Historic Preservation Officer signature date title 13. Other Maps Photographs Other Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to.

Signed - Date _ Phone: _ Comments for any item may be continued on an attached sheet MAIN POST OFFICE HOLYOKE, MA 01040 Holyoke Main Post Office Holyoke, MA Dennis Griggs August 1983 Sullivan Design Group, Inc. Front elevation. Left view MAIN POST OFFICE HOLYOKE, MA 01040 Holyoke Main Post Office Holyoke, MA Dennis Griggs August 1983 Sullivan Design Group, Inc. Front elevation. Right view UNITED STATES POST OFFICE MAIN POST OFFICE HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS 01040 Holyoke Main Post Office HoLyoke, MA Dennis Griggs August 1983 Sullivan Design Group, Inc. Front elevation MAIN POST OFFICE HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS 01040 Holyoke Main Post Office Holyoke, MA Dennis Griggs August 1983 Sullivan Design Group, Inc. Entrance Detail MAIN POST OFFICE HOLYOKE, MA 01040 Holyoke Main Post Office Holyoke, MA Dennis Griggs August 1983 Sullivan Design Group, Inc. Mural AATES POSTA UNITED *.

SERVICE FIELD REAL ESTATE AND BUILDINGS OFFICE P.O. Box 324 Lexington, MA 02173-0324 June 17, 1985 The Honorable Ernest E. Proulx Mayor, City of Holyoke City Hall, Room 1 Holyoke, MA 01040 Dear Mayor Proulx: The U. S. Postal Service in conjunction with the Massachusetts Historical Commission in Boston has evaluated the Main Post Office in Holyoke and has determined it is significant from a historical viewpoint. In view of the above evaluation, the U.S. Postal Service intends to nominate this building to the National Register of Historic Places. We would, prior to our taking formal action, appreciate receiving your concurrence. If you concur with our proposed action, kindly return a signed copy of this letter in the enclosed envelope. Sincerely, General Manager om Emalcha, Enclosure JPC/1jr REGEIVED U.S POSTAL SERVICE JUN 26 9 09 AH °85 NEW ENCLAND FIELD REAL ESTATE & BI DOS.

CFFICE LEXINGTON. HA 92173 WATES POSTA SERVICE UNITE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE Real Estate and Buildings Department 475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20260-6400 December 6, 1985 Ms. Carol D. Shull Chief of Registration National Register of Historic Places National Park Service Department of Interior Washington, D.C. 20240-1002 Dear Ms. Shull: The Postal Service hereby submits a nomination for the post office located at 650 Dwight Street, Hampden County, Holyoke, Massachusetts. If you have any guestions concerning this nomination, please call me at 202/268-3107. Sincerely, John S. Sorenson Realty Specialist, Senior Office of Real Estate Enclosure DEC 1 1 1985