{"nrhp_refnum":"85000129","name":"US Post Office-Long Beach Main","other_names":["Long Beach Main Post Office"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"300 Long Beach Blvd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Long Beach","county":"Los Angeles County","state":"CA","lat":33.77262667000008,"lon":-118.18975265399996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-01-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A seven-story reinforced concrete post office at 300 Long Beach Boulevard in downtown Long Beach, California, built 1932-1934 in the Starved Classical (PWA Moderne) style by the Office of the Supervising Architect.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it was one of the first large-scale Starved Classical buildings in California and a clear expression of that style, combining Beaux-Arts monumentality and symmetry with Art Deco ornament. It is also one of the oldest buildings still standing downtown after the 1933 earthquake destroyed many older structures.","narrative":"This seven-story post office at 300 Long Beach Boulevard was begun in 1932 and completed in 1934 in downtown Long Beach. Built of reinforced poured concrete with terracotta ornament and tile, it has a symmetrical facade, giant-order pilasters and a square central tower rising above a rectangular base. Its style, called Starved Classical or PWA Moderne, is classical in plan and massing, with restrained ornament drawn from Art Deco, including geometricized plant forms, acanthus capitals and fan-shaped moderne panels. Inside, the public lobby has marble wainscoting and a terrazzo floor. The building was designed in the Office of the Supervising Architect, though two guidebook authors attribute it to Gilbert Stanley Underwood. It was among the first large Starved Classical buildings in California. Because the 1933 earthquake destroyed many older buildings in the city, it is also one of the oldest structures still standing downtown. Later changes include a handicapped access ramp, new lighting and an HVAC system.","period_of_significance":"1900- (specific dates: begun 1932, completed 1934)","architect_builder":"OSA/James A. Wetmore; Louis A. Simon","architectural_style":"Starved Classical / PWA Moderne","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed in excellent condition and occupied; the second-floor workroom space is currently vacant. Interior altered, with some original fixtures removed.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.895902-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/85000129.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85000129/b0192ee22c-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85000129/b0192ee22c-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Los Angeles","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:U.S._Post_Office_(Long_Beach_Main).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Los Angeles</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:U.S._Post_Office_(Long_Beach_Main).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123857621","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Beach_Main_Post_Office","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7891154"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/los-angeles-county/us-post-office-long-beach-main-85000129/"}