United States Post Office Canal Street Station, historic post office in Manhattan, New York
The United States Post Office Canal Street Station is a two-story post office in Manhattan built in 1937 in the Streamline Moderne style. Its exterior features buff-colored terra cotta panels with a black base and a silver decorative band running along the top, while narrow tall windows on the side face the street.
The building was constructed in 1937 by architect Alan Balch Mills during a Treasury Department program that created new government buildings across cities. A year later in 1938, the interior relief sculpture 'Indian Bowman' by Wheeler Williams was added, and in 1989 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The name comes from Canal Street, the busy thoroughfare where it sits and where thousands of people pass daily. The building shows how government aimed to create structures that served everyday needs while also reflecting modern design values of its time.
The post office is located at 350 Canal Street in a heavily foot-trafficked part of Manhattan, easily accessible on foot and situated near the corner of Church Street. The smooth, clean lines of the building make it easy to spot and find from the street.
The building features a set of small inset bay windows on the Church Street side that appear to scan the street outside, giving the facade a watchful quality. This subtle architectural feature adds depth to the flat surface and is often the first detail visitors notice after taking in the overall form.
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