{"nrhp_refnum":"88002379","name":"US Post Office-Niagara Falls Main","other_names":["Niagara Falls Main Post Office"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Main and Walnut Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Niagara Falls","county":"Niagara County","state":"NY","lat":43.09287961200005,"lon":-79.05675020799998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1989-05-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Politics/Government","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story white Vermont marble post office at Main Street and Walnut Avenue in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, New York, designed in 1904 and opened in January 1908, with a one-story rear extension added in 1932-33.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is an outstanding example of classically inspired federal architecture in New York State. It is one of the largest and most imposing federal buildings designed there by James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect of the Treasury. Its French Neoclassical design with Beaux-Arts details marks the return to classical forms in federal architecture. The compatible 1932-33 addition and high exterior integrity add to its importance.","narrative":"Niagara Falls' main post office occupies a triangular lot where Main Street meets Walnut Avenue. Authorized under the Public Buildings Omnibus Act of 1902, it was designed in 1904 by James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect of the Treasury, and opened on January 31, 1908. The two-story building is faced in white Vermont marble on a granite base. A projecting entrance pavilion has paired Ionic columns, rusticated stonework, a modillioned cornice and a balustrade centered on a large cartouche flanked by cornucopias. The design draws on French Neoclassical models with Beaux-Arts detail and resembles Taylor's post offices at Ithaca and Schenectady. A one-story marble-faced extension, built in 1932-33 under James A. Wetmore, echoes the original rhythm of openings. A loading platform was added in 1964. The exterior remains largely intact, though the public lobby has been heavily altered. Original survivors include green marble wainscot, oak surrounds and a cast-iron staircase. The building is listed for its architectural quality and its role as a symbol of federal presence in the city.","period_of_significance":"1904-7; 1932-3","architect_builder":"James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect, Treasury Department; James A. Wetmore, Acting Supervising Architect (1932-33 extension); general contractor Richardson & Burgess, Inc. of Boston and Washington, D.C.","architectural_style":"French Neoclassical with Beaux-Arts details","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied and in use as the main post office; exterior retains high integrity, while the public lobby has been substantially altered and the second floor is used for offices.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:45.384474-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/88002379.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88002379/3c13983834-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88002379/3c13983834-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Pubdog (talk)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Post_Office-Niagara_Falls_Main_Jun_09.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Pubdog (talk)</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Post_Office-Niagara_Falls_Main_Jun_09.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75313841","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Post_Office_(Niagara_Falls,_New_York)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7891011"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/niagara-county/us-post-office-niagara-falls-main-88002379/"}