{"nrhp_refnum":"86003476","name":"US Post Office-Taunton Main","other_names":["Taunton Main Post Office"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"37 Taunton Green","address_restricted":false,"city":"Taunton","county":"Bristol County","state":"MA","lat":41.90188501500006,"lon":-71.09426693699999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1987-10-19","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Politics/Government","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story limestone post office at 37 Taunton Green, on the western edge of the Green in Taunton, Massachusetts. It was designed in 1930 and constructed in 1932 in a late Neo-Classical style.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is the last building completed on Taunton Green and that its classical presence unifies the varied neighboring historic buildings. It is also presented as a visible symbol of the federal government's role during the Great Depression. It meets criteria A and C.","narrative":"Facing the western side of Taunton Green, this limestone post office was designed in 1930 and built in 1932 by J. & J. Whelan, Inc. It has two stories over a full basement, a trapezoidal plan, and a recessed portico of seven bays with Tuscan columns, a raised central pediment, a denticulated cornice and a shielded eagle. Inside, the lobby shows a restrained Art-Deco character, with bronze friezes, original terrazzo flooring and marble wainscoting. The building was authorized under the 1930 amendment to the Public Buildings Act of 1926, as the Hoover Administration funded federal construction to stimulate the building trades during the Depression. The work provided about nineteen months of income for many families. It was the last building completed on the Green and sits among Colonial Revival and Romanesque neighbors. It is valued as an example of the federal presence expressed through classical design, and for its place in the Taunton Green Historic District.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"James A. Wetmore, Act. Sup. Arch't. (architect); J. & J. Whelan, Inc., Contrs. (builder)","architectural_style":"Late Neo-Classic, with a restrained Art-Deco lobby","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Listed as occupied, in excellent condition, unaltered and on its original site; present use is government.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:02.134103-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/6/7944/63794406/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/86003476.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86003476/dd66f074bf-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86003476/dd66f074bf-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Taunton_Post_Office.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger)</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Taunton_Post_Office.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"85000547","name":"Taunton Green Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/massachusetts/taunton-green-historic-district-85000547/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63794406","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Post_Office%E2%80%93Taunton_Main","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7891177"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/bristol-county/us-post-office-taunton-main-86003476/"}