{"nrhp_refnum":"88002397","name":"US Post Office-Patchogue","other_names":["Patchogue Post Office"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"170 E. Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Patchogue","county":"Suffolk County","state":"NY","lat":40.765450808000026,"lon":-73.01113681799995,"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 one-story limestone-clad post office at 170 East Main Street in the village of Patchogue, Suffolk County, New York, designed by John V. Van Pelt and built in 1932-33 as a federal building.","why_significant":"It is an extremely fine example of a monumental Neoclassically derived design with refined Art Deco ornamentation. It was one of the first New York post offices designed by a private consulting architect rather than the Supervising Architect's office. Its cast-aluminum grilles, clock and carved frieze are described as exceptionally high quality and unique among New York State post offices.","narrative":"Patchogue's post office, at 170 East Main Street on Long Island's south shore, is a small limestone building with an unusually grand presence. A projecting, temple-like entrance pavilion dominates the symmetrical facade. Cast-aluminum grilles frame the doorway and windows, a large aluminum clock sits above the entrance, and a carved frieze shows trains, trucks, airplanes, dirigibles and ships separated by sculpted coins. Architect John V. Van Pelt designed it in 1931-32 as one of the first New York post offices drawn by a consulting architect, a practice allowed by a 1930 amendment meant to ease unemployment among architects. Construction followed in 1932 during the Great Depression public building expansion. The design blends Neoclassical massing with Art Deco detail, and its metalwork is described as unique among the state's post offices. Inside, a simple lobby with faience tile wainscot and a bas relief eagle over the entrance survives, though the screenline and lighting have been altered.","period_of_significance":"1900- (specific dates 1932-3)","architect_builder":"John V. Van Pelt (architect); R.W. Erickson of Philadelphia (general contractor)","architectural_style":"Neoclassically derived style with Art Deco ornamentation","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied and in good condition; retains a high degree of integrity on exterior and interior, with some alterations such as replaced entrance doors and steps and an altered screenline.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:45.725797-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/88002397.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88002397/16cbb904e0-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88002397/16cbb904e0-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"DanTD","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Patchogue_Post_Office.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">DanTD</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:Patchogue_Post_Office.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75314973","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Post_Office_(Patchogue,_New_York)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7891025"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/suffolk-county/us-post-office-patchogue-88002397/"}