| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office.
THE PREFIX "P" IN THE PHOTO CODES IS SHORT FOR "PO." ANOTHER MAP CODE FOR THIS POSTAL STATION IS PO-T.
The building is an example of the Classical Revival style. The plan of the building is rectangular with the public entrance/lobby on the Main Street facade. The original, or front, section of the building has a standing seam metal hip roof. There has been an addition to one side of the building. Because this addition is set back from the face of the original building and its materials and detailing are similar to the original building, the integrity and form of the building are preserved. The elevation of the building is organized symmetrically about the entry. The building is constructed of red/brown brick on a granite base. The entrance doors and side windows are set back and trimmed in limestone. Limestone plasters at the entry extend to support a limestone fascia that extends around the building. The building name and city are engraved on this fascia. Attached to the fascia is a wood cornice, painted white. The original double hung windows have 15 over 15 light configuration at the entry, and a 6 over 6 configuration elsewhere. The entry steps and porch are granite with Art Deco pole lamps on either side. This structure is in good condition. The cornerstone notes: "Henry Morgenthau, Jr., Secretary of the Treasury, James A. Farley, Postmaster General, Louis A. Simon, Supervising Architect, Neal A. Melick, Supervising Engineer, 1938."
The interior of the building has the orginal terrazzo floor and marble wainscot. The addition has a terrazzo floor with wood wainscot. The walls and ceiling are plaster. In addition to the original wood trim, the original wood vestibule is intact. This structure is in good condition. There is a mural on the wall at the end of the lobby. The Post Office is located on the fringe of the downtown business district adjacent to the residential area.
ARCHITECTURAL/ENGINEERING SIGNIFICANCE:
This is the most developed of the four Post Offices surveyed in this substyle of the Classical Revival style. The original windows are intact and the later addition to the side has been designed to be sympathetic to and support the original design.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
This building, which was originally occupied in June of 1939, represents the first federally-owned Post Office in Waupaca. Prior to its construction, the postal functions for the community were located in leased quarters in two different downtown commercial buildings. Prior to 1880, the post office traveled to a variety of locations determined by each successive postmaster.
The Waupaca Post Office is one of several in the State built during the period of the Public Works Administration. A mural from the WPA artists program is found in the lobby. WPA projects are historically significant because they represent the first effort of the federal government to provide direct funding for work projects. The WPA was one of many programs that changed the federal government's role in people's everyday lives during the later twentieth century.
The Waupaca Post Office is also the best representative of the federal government in the city. Before the federal government became an important element in people's lives, the post office was one of the very few representatives of the federal government in United States' communities. Although technically a private institution today, the post office still represents the federal government in many people's minds. |
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| Bibliographic References: | (A) Date of construction - Building Cornerstone.
(B) Ware, John M., "A Standard History of Waupaca County, Wisconsin," Chicago, 1917.
Take a Walk on Main Street: Historic Walking Tours in Wisconsin's Main Street Communities, Wisconsin Main Street Program, 1998. |
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