- City:
- Martinez, CA
- Site Type:
- Federal Facilities, Post Offices
- New Deal Agencies:
- Federal & Military Operations, Treasury Department
- Started:
- 1936
- Completed:
- 1937
- Designer:
- Louis A Simon - Supervising Architect
- Quality of Information:
- Moderate
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
The Martinez downtown post office was constructed by the Treasury Department Office of Procurement for the United States Post Office in 1936-37. It is a striking one-story Moderne building built of reinforced concrete, with a central entrance and two windows on each side of the facade.
The entrance and central windows are bordered by lovely decorative bas-relief elements and there is a beautiful golden-eagle sculpture over the door.
The interior of the post office is in excellent condition, with the original woodwork, metal grills and post boxes. It also houses a New Deal mural by Hamlin and Dixon at the south end of the lobby, over the Postmaster’s office.
The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been recently restored.
Source notes
Cornerstone
Nomination of Martinez post office to National Register, 2012
King, John, "Chasing Bay Area artifacts of the New Deal," San Francisco Chronicle, 9-1-2008.
Site originally submitted by Andrew Laverdiere on June 6, 2009.
Additional contributions by Kristin Henderson.
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The Martinez Downtown Historic Post Office building is a PWA (not WPA) construct. The mural is a Treasury Department submission (competitive, not WPA), and was funded by the 2nd New Deal. It is also a member of the State level Natl Register submission as an example of this 2nd New Deal funding. Nothing about this building is WPA; however, it is a product of other New Deal programs.