New Rochelle Post Office

The New Rochelle Post Office was constructed between 1936 and 1938 as part of an expanded public buildings program initiated by the federal government to relieve unemployment caused by the Great Depression. The building was dedicated on June 18, 1938, during the celebration of the town’s 250th anniversary.[1]

The building was designed by Frederick G. Frost, who decided to go against the neoclassical conventions and opting instead for an Art Moderne style. Art Moderne, or Streamline Moderne, was more streamlined and austere as opposed to the more decorative Art Deco. The style emphasizes simple geometry, incorporating curving forms, and long horizontal lines with the principle of taking classical architecture and stripping it of ornamentation.[2]

The building’s additional significance lies with its three murals, created as part of the federal government's creation of public art through artist commissions during the Great Depression. The murals were painted by David Hutchison in an irregular shape to specifically fit the lobby space of the post office. The murals depict scenes of local history in a realistic style.[3]

[1] Williams, Grey. Jackson, Kenneth T. Picturing Our Post: National Register Sites in Westchester County. New York. 2003

[2] “Art Deco and Moderne,” Architecture Styles of America and Europe, October 2011, https://architecturestyles.org/art-deco/

[3] “National Register of Historic Place Inventory-Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior- National Parks Service, completed Larry E. Gobrecht.