{"nrhp_refnum":"72001030","name":"Old Central Post Office","other_names":["Toledo Board of Education Vocational Rehabilitation Center"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"13th St. between Madison and Jefferson Aves.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Toledo","county":"Lucas County","state":"OH","lat":41.65481214300007,"lon":-83.54396945799994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1972-02-23","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A large government post office building on 13th Street between Madison and Jefferson Avenues in Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio, built 1909-1911 to a design by government architect J. Knox Taylor and now used as a vocational rehabilitation center by the Toledo Board of Education.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is an excellent example of turn-of-the-century classical governmental architecture. Although this derivative classical style is not uncommon, the building is described as one of the more accomplished designs and a distinct contribution to Toledo's architectural scene.","narrative":"Occupying a full city block between Madison and Jefferson Avenues in downtown Toledo, this former Central Post Office was built after the federal government bought the site in 1907 for $135,000. Construction began in 1909 on a $550,000 building designed by government architect J. Knox Taylor, and the cornerstone was laid on August 19, 1909. The 302-by-146-foot structure was finished in 1911, and the post office moved in that December. Its 13th Street facade features an engaged Doric colonnade, a balustrade above the entablature, paired Doric columns at the entrances, and a pediment carrying the United States eagle. A central hall rises above the walls with the round arches of a Roman basilica, and the copper roof is ornamented with anthemia. The federal government declared the building surplus in 1965, and it was donated to the Toledo Board of Education, which converted the mail room into classrooms. It is valued as an accomplished example of classical government architecture.","period_of_significance":"1911","architect_builder":"J. Knox Taylor, government architect","architectural_style":"Early 20th century governmental classical style, based on Greek and Roman elements","criteria":[],"status_note":"Condition listed as excellent and the building is occupied. It was declared federal surplus in 1965 and donated to the Toledo Board of Education, and interior conversion to classrooms was under way when the form was prepared.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:09.829099-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/72001030.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72001030/4222006075-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72001030/4222006075-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"MrJacon000","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jefferson_Center_(Toledo,_Ohio),_August_2021.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">MrJacon000</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jefferson_Center_(Toledo,_Ohio),_August_2021.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"100009042","name":"Uptown Toledo Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/ohio/uptown-toledo-historic-district-100009042/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71989901","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Center_(Toledo,_Ohio)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6175384"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/lucas-county/old-central-post-office-72001030/"}