The Old Middletown Post Office, in
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States, Located along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, it is south of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated by English settler ...
, also known as the U.S. Post Office, was built in 1916. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1982.
[ The building is also on the NRHP as a contributing property of the Main Street Historic District.][.]
Structure
The building is made of limestone using a structural system of load bearing masonry. It was designed by the Office of the Supervising Architect under James A. Wetmore
James Alfonso Wetmore (November 1863 – March 14, 1940) was an American lawyer and administrator, best known as the Acting Supervising Architect of the U.S. Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department from 1915 through 1933. ...
and built by W. H. Frissell & Co. of New York City.
Relationship to surroundings
This fine, two-story example of the Renaissance Revival style is located on the south west corner of Court and Main Streets facing the Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...
. Across Court Street to the north is the massive Liberty Bank building and to its south across a parking lot; is the Bank of America building. Together these three buildings give this section of the central business district a solid and classical look.
Significance
In 1911, the United States Government decided to build a new post office facility in Middletown. Preparations for construction began shortly thereafter. The selection of the building's location was a topic of much controversy. The government finally chose this location, federally owned since 1841, in the center of Middletown's commercial and financial district.
Contemporary sources indicate that the new post office was a source of civic pride for the citizens of Middletown. Its facade of smooth limestone distinguished it in a city center where brick
A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...
and Portland brownstone
Brownstone is a brown Triassic–Jurassic sandstone that was historically a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States and Canada to refer to a townhouse clad in this or any other aesthetically similar material.
Type ...
were the common building materials. The classical facade displays a two-story arrangement of arched windows and pilasters supporting an elaborate entablature. The interior features a large two story open lobby.
The old post office ceased operation in 1977, ending 136 years of federal use of that site.
Current use and condition
Liberty Bank uses this building as office space and keeps the building in good condition.
See also
*
* List of United States post offices
References
*Middletown, Connecticut Historical and Architectural Resources. Volume III, Card Number 167. Elizabeth Loomis. June, 1978.
{{National Register of Historic Places
Post office buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
Buildings and structures in Middletown, Connecticut
Post office buildings in Connecticut
Government buildings completed in 1916
Renaissance Revival architecture in Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in Middlesex County, Connecticut
Historic district contributing properties in Connecticut