Historic Resources Committee

This message has been cross posted to the following Discussion Forums: Interior Architecture Committee and Historic Resources Committee .
-------------------------------------------
The article in the New York Times (see link below,) raises an issue about the fate of the US Postal Service that is not obvious in the political discussions happening lately.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/08/arts/design/preservationists-fight-postal-service-over-sales.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&hpw

We often lose sight of small treasures like the post offices in our neighborhoods. In earlier days, these buildings were designed with care, and whose interiors of marble, wood and bronze were further embellished with murals celebrating the history of their locales. Along with libraries, town halls, banks and railroad stations, these structures defined the civic sphere of a community. Unlike many local libraries however, which have embraced technology and flourished in recent years, the relevance of the post office in our connected society has flagged. I think it's ironic that the old post office on Prince Street in SoHo became the first Apple Store to open in New York. While the sale to private entities is arguably preferable to demolition, adaptive re-use for a truly public purpose would be ideal. Ideas anyone?

-------------------------------------------
Nathan Hoyt FAIA
Principal
Nathan Hoyt FAIA, Architect
Nyack NY
-------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------
Nelson B. Nave AIA
Owner
Nelson Breech Nave, AIA Architect
Kalamazoo MI
-------------------------------------------
The Post Offices are like very nice churches that are being sold.  We should save all of them, but can we afford to...?  The new owners hopefully will appreciate them and their beauty.  

-------------------------------------------
John Dixon FAIA
Editor + Consultant
Old Greenwich CT
-------------------------------------------
Sales already underway in Greenwich and Stamford, CT.
As the NYTimes article mentions, Greenwich building already vacated and bought by group headed by Peter Malkin (whose company owns lots of buildings, including Empire State). That one is not only distinguished in itself, but is crucial part of a civic cluster, fronts on and is integrated in design is with  on a town-owned parklet that includes a war memorial obelisk. Town-sized version of City Beautiful. Restoration Hardware slated to occupy it as retail tenant. I trust owner -- motivated by preservation in the first place, with deep pockets -- to do right by it.
Stamford's is more conventionally located along a main street, but is an equally good Beaux-Art example. Has a nice raised terrace along street. There are strong preservation forces supporting it, but when last seen it had a for sale sign out front.
Some of the best examples of best New Deal post offices in the New York area are likely to be in the suburbs or outer boroughs -- because that's where demand was rising -- though there are some in Manhattan. There's a sleek-looking Rationalist (or "Mussolini Mondern" one in downtown New Rochelle, which I've been meaning to check out further. A more modest one in this style is in Manhattan at Fourth Avenue and 11th Street -- with an only moderately interesting interior.

John Morris Dixon