{"nrhp_refnum":"85000138","name":"US Post Office-Santa Barbara Main","other_names":["Santa Barbara Main Post Office"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"836 Anacapa St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Santa Barbara","county":"Santa Barbara County","state":"CA","lat":34.42274526800003,"lon":-119.70024751499994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-01-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story combined post office and federal office building at 836 Anacapa Street in Santa Barbara, California, designed by Reginald D. Johnson and built between 1935 and 1937.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is exceptionally significant under Criterion C as a well-preserved example of a small combined post office/federal office, blending Spanish Colonial Revival massing with Art Deco ornament. It also has local importance in urban design relative to nearby historic buildings, and its preserved 1930s landscaping and lobby sculpture and murals add to its value.","narrative":"Located at 836 Anacapa Street in Santa Barbara, this two-story post office and federal office building was begun in 1935 and completed in 1937 to designs by Reginald D. Johnson. It is built of white reinforced poured concrete with a red terracotta tile roof, a full basement and varied, picturesque massing. Spanish Colonial Revival forms such as piers, canales and corbeled eaves are combined with Art Deco details, including chevron-etched glass lanterns, chevrons cast in keystones, eagles above the north entrance and molded bronze doors. The lobby keeps its tile floor, pink limestone walls, original lighting and furniture. Relief sculpture and murals add to the interior. The 1936 planting plan is still used to guide upkeep of the landscaping, which the nomination calls the only surveyed example retaining its 1930s scheme. The building was listed for its architecture, its fit with nearby historic buildings including El Cuartel, the Lobero Theater and El Paseo, and its well-preserved original design.","period_of_significance":"Begun 1935, completed 1937","architect_builder":"Reginald D. Johnson","architectural_style":"Spanish Colonial Revival with Art Deco (Zig-Zag Moderne) ornament","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Listed as occupied, in excellent condition; exterior maintained in original condition, with lobby changes limited to new light fixtures, added post office boxes and a handicapped access ramp.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:28.136038-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/85000138.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85000138/70d972643d-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85000138/70d972643d-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Eugene Zelenko (thanks to my friends Nickolov family for generous help and company)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USA-Santa_Barbara-Post_Office.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Eugene Zelenko (thanks to my friends Nickolov family for generous help and company)</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:USA-Santa_Barbara-Post_Office.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123857796","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Barbara_Main_Post_Office","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7890900"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/santa-barbara-county/us-post-office-santa-barbara-main-85000138/"}