Shelton Post Office
Introduction
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This brick Colonial Revival building was constructed as a U.S. Post Office in 1938 on property donated by Mark E. Reed. Miss Jessie Knight, postmistress from 1919 until 1945 oversaw its construction. It was built by the A.F. Mowat Construction Company of Seattle for $60,000. This site originally housed the Satsop Store (1875-1880), then the first Lumberman’s Mercantile building (1890-1912).
Images
Post Office dedication - August 1938
Backstory and Context
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As the third building for the Post Office, it has a hipped roof over the major portion of the building and a flat roof elsewhere. An addition was added in 1962. The wall surface is brick with large 12 over 12 double hung windows. The entrance has is flanked by columns with capitals and bases and an arched pediment above a classical entablature. Within the pediment is a sculptured bas-relief of an eagle. Inside the lobby is a mural from the 1930s WPA artist Richard Haines featuring a logger with oxen.
This expansion of the post office allowed for residential mail delivery to the Hillcrest and Angleside areas of Shelton for the first time.
The park along the side of the Post Office has been the site of the town Christmas tree for over half a century.
Sources
Mason County Historical Society