Scarsdale Post Office

Designed in 1931 by architect Leonard Schultze, the Scarsdale post office was authorized in 1931 as a part of the extensive building programs initiated by the federal government. The program was created in response to the Great Depression and the surge of unemployment that followed, providing constructions jobs and putting money into the economy. 

The original settlement in the Scarsdale area began in the Colonial period. In the 19th century, the arrival of the railroad led to its suburban development. The first post office was located in the railroad station, and it was moved three times before the being built at its present location.   

The design of the post office follows the use of restrained classical forms influenced by the Art Modern style. Neoclassical architecture is characterized by simple geometric forms and the dramatic use of columns. The classic designs show the versatility of the designer. Along with architecture, the post office is also artistically significant due to the two interior murals that show romanticized views of colonial life in Scarsdale. These murals were painted by Gordon Samstag under the Treasury Department’s section of Fine Arts in 1940. The interior is arranged in a utilitarian fashion and has marble, wood, plaster, and terrazzo details. 

1.National Register of Historic Places Register Form, Scarsdale Post Office, October 5, 1988, Westchester County Historical Society Archive, Accessed November 5, 2020.

2.Williams, Gray. Picturing Our Past: National Register Sites in Westchester County. Elmsford, New York. Westchester Historical County Historical Society , 2003.

3.The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica "Neoclassical architecture" Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., November 5, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/art/Neoclassical-architecture