Historic Resources Committee

 View Only
  • 1.  Historic Post office drawing archives

    Posted 04-25-2013 11:23 AM

    I am presently restoring a 1936 New Deal small post office in Mesa AZ. I have had no luck to date running down a set of the original documents for the building. National Archives no hits. HABS no hits. Local SHPO no info. It is a typical WPA standard post office for small communities that I have found was constructed all over the midwest. Supervising architect was Louis Simon. I have found a list of his projects and the Mesa Post office is not on the list. Anyone out there have a source I may have missed. I have tried to contact several of the other communities that have a similar building with no success to date.
    -------------------------------------------
    Ronald Peters AIA
    President
    HistoricStreetscapes PLLC
    Mesa AZ
    -------------------------------------------
    AIA26 San Diego June 10-13


  • 2.  RE:Historic Post office drawing archives

    Posted 04-26-2013 06:18 PM
    Ronald,

    Have you tried contacting the Living New Deal Project at UC Berkeley?  You might try Gray Brechin there -  graybrechin@livingnewdeal.org.  Also check out their web site.  Good luck!

    Nancy Stoltz

    -------------------------------------------
    Nancy Stoltz AIA
    Office of Nancy Stoltz
    Mill Valley CA
    -------------------------------------------






    AIA26 San Diego June 10-13


  • 3.  RE:Historic Post office drawing archives

    Posted 04-29-2013 06:39 PM
    Ronald,

    The National Archives and Records Administration has the records for the Works Progress Administration.  The following link is for the series, "Standard Plans for Post Offices, ca. 1936 - ca. 1940."  The series "consists of cabinet sketches and plans of various regional and other architectural styles as well as standard and miscellaneous detail plans used in the design and construction of post offices throughout the United States."  There are approximately 250 drawings.

    http://research.archives.gov/description/1461912

    Good hunting.

    John
    -------------------------------------------
    John Burns FAIA
    Chief Appeals Officer
    National Park Service
    Alexandria VA
    -------------------------------------------






    AIA26 San Diego June 10-13


  • 4.  RE:Historic Post office drawing archives

    Posted 05-01-2013 12:37 PM

    Ronald,

    In the mid 1980's USPS went through one of its many "reorganizations."  In my part of the country, the record drawings of all post offices in the Omaha Division were shipped to the Division office for safe keeping.  In the case of the Omaha Division, that included all of the facilities in Nebraska, South Dakota and Eastern Iowa.  USPS has gone through other "reorganizations" since the mid-1980's so it is hard to say where those drawings are now.  

    The decentralization of the drawings was done nationwide.  You should be able to find out which Division or Regional office is responsible for the Meza Post Office and work backward to see where the drawings were delivered in the mid-1980's.  From that point you may get lucky and find someone who worked the more recent "reorganizations" and can tell you where they might be.

    During the mid-80's reorganization, the Omaha Division removed all drawings for Postal facilities which were no longer owned by USPS.  Most of the time, they sent the drawings to the structure's owner at the time.  If the Post Office in Meza is now in private hands the drawings may have been offered to the owner or perhaps a previous owner.

    Good luck in your search.

    Jerry
    -------------------------------------------
    Jerry Berggren AIA
    Berggren Architects
    Lincoln NE
    -------------------------------------------






    AIA26 San Diego June 10-13


  • 5.  RE:Historic Post office drawing archives

    Posted 04-26-2013 06:44 PM
    My friend in the Historic Resources Preservation business tells me that the Postal Service should have the drawings.

    -------------------------------------------
    Thomas Shumaker AIA
    Owner
    T. A. Shumaker, AIA
    San Diego CA
    -------------------------------------------






    AIA26 San Diego June 10-13


  • 6.  RE:Historic Post office drawing archives

    Posted 05-01-2013 10:20 AM
    Ronald,
    Does your building look anything like this one?  If so, we have the original blueprints for this post office in Stuttgart, Arkansas built in 1936 under the same supervising architect.  Please let me know if there is something specific that you are looking for or if I can assist you in any way.
    Thank you,
    Jerrie

    -------------------------------------------
    Jerrie Ott AIA
    Architect
    Robert M. Schelle Architect
    Cabot AR
    -------------------------------------------






    AIA26 San Diego June 10-13


  • 7.  RE:Historic Post office drawing archives

    Posted 05-01-2013 02:49 PM
    Ron,
    My spouse and I were on 'spring break' for 10 days last month in Arizona and New Mexico.  We happened to go to an Arlo Guthrie concert in Santa Fe one night and upon exiting through the lobby there was a table set up featuring representatives of the New Mexico Chapter of the National New Deal Preservation Association, PO Box 602 Santa Fe, MN 87504.  www.newdeallegacy.org
    505-473-3985, newdeal@cybermesa.com.
    They were handing out (3) separate New Mexico region maps identifying all the building and art projects funded by New Deal money.
    They may be of some help in your search.
    Rob

    -------------------------------------------
    Rob Brennan AIA
    Principal
    Brennan+Company Architects
    Ellicott City, MD
    -------------------------------------------






    AIA26 San Diego June 10-13


  • 8.  RE:Historic Post office drawing archives

    Posted 05-01-2013 07:59 PM
    WOW!  Its the best I can do to thank all of you for your help in my search for information on locating the historic drawings on the Post Office ca. 1936 in Mesa AZ. Not only did I get the original drawing file but all renovations done to the building since then. The real source hit came from Andrea Urbas, AIA Redlands CA. She provided not only the contact at GSA Preservation office in San Francisco but provided me with the GSA locator no. for the building. I cant tell you all how much I appreciated your help. I only hope sometime I can "pass it on" and help someone else. Thanks again to everyone who responded. I now have a great resource list for the future. By the way the final was over 120 recovered drawing files for this project, and making GSA aware that they had a project in Mesa AZ. A gold mine for the restoration project.

    -------------------------------------------
    Ronald Peters AIA
    President
    HistoricStreetscapes PLLC
    Mesa AZ
    -------------------------------------------






    AIA26 San Diego June 10-13