United States Post Office–Bronx Central Annex

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Bronx Central Annex-U.S. Post Office
USPS GC 150 jeh.jpg
Bronx Post Office, March 2010
United States Post Office–Bronx Central Annex is located in New York City
United States Post Office–Bronx Central Annex
Location 558 Grand Concourse, New York, New York
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Area 1.5 acres (0.61 ha)
Built 1935
Architect Ellett, Thomas Harlan; Shahn, Ben
NRHP Reference # 80002584[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP May 6, 1980
Designated NYCL September 14, 1976
December 17, 2013

United States Post Office–Bronx Central Annex is a historic post office building located at the Bronx, New York, United States. The four-story structure was built from 1935 to 1937, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and as a New York City Landmark. Additional landmark status was granted to the interior, which includes a notable series of New Deal-era murals in fresco created in 1939 by Ben Shahn and Bernarda Bryson Shahn for the Treasury Department Art Project's Section of Fine Arts. The building was sold in 2014 and is being transformed into retail, postal service, office and restaurant space.

Building

Bronx General Post Office is a historic post office building located at the Bronx, New York, United States. It was built from 1935 to 1937, and designed by consulting architect Thomas Harlan Ellett for the Office of the Supervising Architect. Constructed of smooth gray brick and is surrounded by a granite terrace, the building features graceful window openings set within marble arches.

On the terrace are two sculptures dating to 1936: The Letter by Henry Kreis and Noah by Charles Rudy.

The interior features 13 mural panels in fresco[2] inspired by the words of Walt Whitman.[3] They were executed by Ben Shahn and his wife Bernarda Bryson Shahn and completed in August 1939.[4]

The building was listed as a New York City Landmark on September 14, 1976,[5] and on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[1]

Sale

On January 2013 the U.S. Postal Service announced that it was considering selling the Bronx General Post Office as part of its national reevaluation of facilities. Noting that the building comprises 175,000 square feet of interior space, the Postal Service stated that most of the operations once performed there had been relocated.[6] The sale of some 200 buildings was being considered in light of declining mail volume and the growth of online services. "There are lots of quite significant post office buildings that are threatened because the Postal Service itself is threatened", said National Building Museum curator G. Martin Moeller Jr.[7] The grand Bronx property was one of those most architecturally distinguished, and its interior was granted landmark status December 17, 2013,[8] to preserve Shahn's mural series, Resources of America.[9][10] Despite protests from preservationists and the community, plans for the sale went forward.[11]

The building was purchased by Manhattan marketplace developer YoungWoo & Associates in September 2014 [12] for $19 million. In February 2015 the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the redevelopment of the property with retail space and postal services on the ground and main floors, office space on the upper two floors, and a restaurant on the roof. The plan included restoration of the exterior, the 13 murals, and the lobby which had been remodeled over the years.[13]

Gallery

Resources of America is a series of 13 murals celebrating American industry and the dignity of labor, inspired by the words of Walt Whitman.

  • Celebrating the American textile industry

  • FWA-PBA-Paintings and Sculptures for Public Buildings-Bronx Central Station, New York, artist Ben Shahn-woman working... - NARA - 195795.tif

    Woman working on a large loom

  • FWA-PBA-Paintings and Sculptures for Public Buildings-painting depicting "Bill of Rights"-a bearded man standing in... - NARA - 197275.tif

    Walt Whitman addressing American workers and their families

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Note: This includes Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. and Accompanying seven photographs
  5. ↑ Bronx Post Office (New York City Landmark Preservation Commission)
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons

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