{"nrhp_refnum":"86001211","name":"US Post Office-Salem Main","other_names":["Salem Main Post Office"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"2 Margin St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Salem","county":"Essex County","state":"MA","lat":42.37975000200004,"lon":-71.09357163399994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-06-04","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"The Salem Main Post Office is a two-story red brick post office and federal building at 2 Margin Street in downtown Salem, Massachusetts, built in 1932-1933 to designs by the Salem firm Smith and Walker.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is the finest example of a Colonial Revival civic building in Salem. It also departed from the Treasury's 1915 building classification by using brick reinforced with granite on a large-scale post office. Its construction during the Depression provided work for unemployed local people.","narrative":"Overlooking Ripley Plaza at the southern end of downtown Salem, this two-story brick building at 2 Margin Street serves as both post office and federal office building. Constructed in 1932-1933 from designs by the Salem firm of Smith and Walker, with Louis B. Cadarlo as builder, it is laid in Flemish bond and trimmed with Chelmsford granite. A five-bay pedimented central pavilion, arched first-floor windows and Adamesque ornament give it a Georgian, Colonial Revival character. Inside, the lobby features verde antique, St. Genevieve golden red and Westfield green marble, with bronze details. About fifty buildings, including the c. 1650 Ruck House, were cleared from the site. The building was praised at its dedication for its lavish finishes and modern equipment, and its construction gave work to unemployed Salem residents during the Depression. It is described as an outstanding, well-preserved local example of Colonial Revival civic architecture, and it remains a focal point downtown.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"Smith & Walker, Architects; James A. Wetmore, Sup. Architect; Louis B. Cadarlo & Sons, Builder","architectural_style":"Colonial Revival (Georgian in form, with Adamesque ornament)","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Excellent condition and occupied; serves as post office and federal office building, with some interior alterations.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:01.676356-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/38/7948/63794838/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/86001211.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86001211/27a9187adf-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86001211/27a9187adf-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Fletcher6","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Post_Office_-_Salem_Main.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Fletcher6</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:US_Post_Office_-_Salem_Main.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63794838","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Post_Office%E2%80%93Salem_Main","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7891172"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/essex-county/us-post-office-salem-main-86001211/"}