Clintondale, NY

Newburgh, NY

The post office in Newburgh, N.Y., at the corner of Montgomery and Second Streets, circa 1906, with the Hudson River in the background.

And the architect’s drawing.

York, PA

Large post offices in small to medium-sized towns were often a visual reminder of the clout of the town’s congressman. With this postcard, Rep. Daniel Franklin Lafean (1861-1922) baldly reminded his constituents that he brought home the bacon. Born in York, Lafean made candy and was a banker before serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1903 to 1913, and 1915 to 1917. Below, the post office that the one shown above replaced.

Little John Island, ME

I would love a better image of this, but this is better than nothing. What a gem.

Augusta, GA

What an unusual tower.

Wells Beach, ME

With an excellent crowd checking their mail.

Jersey City, NJ

And the same photo in color…

Winnipeg, Manitoba

If ever a city was betrayed by the architects of its post offices, surely it is Winnipeg. Above, the post office from 1886 to 1908. I’m told this building is still standing, but cannot find a contemporary photo, possibly because no one can bear to look at it. Next came the post office below…

… which served the city from 1908 to 1958, stuffed into its space and offering access to its massiveness by two small doors. This building was demolished in 1962 (and a few fragments were placed in a city park in 1990) …

… but the worst was still to come. In 1958, Winnipeg received the final insult, seen below. The post office occupies the four-story building seen to the left, while the “tower” is rented office space.

An excellent history of Winnipeg’s post offices can be found here.

Milwaukee, WI

Portland, ME