Portales Post Office

This Classical Revival style building was funded by the Works Public Administration (WPA) and completed in 1937. In 1938, Theodore Van Soelen painted a mural, "Buffalo Range", in the lobby over the postmaster's door. It is oil on canvas and measures approximately 5'x12'. The mural depicts a herd of buffalo on a plain.

State Register SRCP 106, National Register 2-23-90

The Portales Post Office Building was the first and is the only federally recognized post office. The Supervising Architect was Louis A. Simon, assigned through the Federal Government^[7]. The building's construction finished in 1937, and was built with funds provided by the Public Works Administration (PWA). The Chamber of Commerce was given the go-ahead to request the Federal Post Office building in 1931, with the Portales Valley News stating that the Post Office was, at this point, in the First National Bank^[1] . By January of 1934, according to New Mexico Senator Bronson Cutting, the building had not yet been approved, but the request was under review by the administration of the National Recovery Act ^[2] . The News reported on May 24 1934 that the project had been approved by both the Post Office and Treasury departments, and was under consideration by the Public Works Administration^[3] . By June of 1935, funding of $83,000 was approved to build a new Portales Post Office^[4] .

On August 15, 1935, the Portales Valley News headline read “Post Office Building Approved.” According to the article, word had been received that construction and funds had been approved, and that bids for the site of the new building would be called for within the week^[5] . By October of 1936, construction was well under way, with most of the steel reinforcements in place and concrete scheduled to be poured^[6] . The Tribune reported in February of 1937 that construction would be completed soon^[7] , and the building dedication took place on June 5, 1937, featuring music performances, an introduction of prominent citizens who assisted in securing the building, and a dedication speech by Congressman J.J. Dempsey^[8] .

The Post Office is plain in design, being single-story red brick sitting atop a raised basement. Aside from the limestone bas reliefs on the front of the building depicting a train, airplane, and boat (representing mail delivery by land, air, and water), there is no significant detailing present on the exterior of the building^[9] . In the late 1960s, a wing was added to the rear portion of the building, featuring the same detailing as the original structure, but the limestone was replaced with cast concrete in the new addition^[7] .

In 1938, Theodore Van Soelen, a significant Santa Fe artist, completed a mural that is in the lobby over the postmaster’s door. The mural was completed with funding from the Federal Works Agency Section of Fine Arts. The Section of Fine Arts was established in 1934 by the Treasury Department, originally called the Section of Painting and Sculpture. The name was changed to the “Section of Fine Arts” in 1938^[10] . The mural is approximately 5’x12’ in measurement, and Van Soelen stated that he had one year to complete the mural, being required to submit a sketch before starting the painting. He met with the Postmistress at the time, Lillian Howard, who told the Portales Tribune that the mural was going to have colors that blended with the tones on the walls of the Post Office building^[11] . Van Soelen completed extensive research to begin the mural, including bringing grass into his studio to ensure accuracy, going to zoos to observe bison, and sketching museum specimens. He was elected Honorary Fellow in Fine Arts by the School of American Research, Santa Fe, in 1960, and was elected to the National Academy of Design in 1940^[12] .

1. "Portales Asks for Federal Building." Portales Valley News, January 8, 1931.
2. "To Consider Post Office." Portales Valley News, January 11, 1934.
3. "Approval of Portales Post Office Assured." Portales Valley News, May 24, 1934.
4. "Portales to Get Post Office; Cost $83,000." Portales Valley News, June 27, 1935.
5. "Post Office Building Approved." Portales Valley News, August 15, 1935.
6. "Public Works Building." Portales Tribune, October 23, 1936.
7. Kolva, H.J. "Jim", and Franks, Steve. "Portales Post Office." National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. Project Manager and Research Assistant, September 1988. 
8. "Varied Program Featured in Post Office Dedication." The Portales Tribune, June 8, 1937.
9. Flynn, Kathryn A.. Public Art and Architecture in New Mexico 1933-1943: A Guide to the New Deal Legacy. Santa Fe, NM. Sunstone Press, 2012. p. 104.
10. Thompson, Lisa. Treasury Section of Fine Arts (TSFA) (1934), Living New Deal. November 18, 2016. Accessed June 15, 2022. https://livingnewdeal.org/glossary/section-fine-arts-1934-1943/.
11. "Post Office to Receive Mural." The Portales Tribune, August 20, 1937.
12. "Work art projects provided 'relief'." Portales News Tribune, April 28, 1992.