Martinez Downtown Post Office (Additional Documentation)
Also known as: Post Office
Why it's listed
Completed in 1937 at 815 Court Street, Martinez's downtown post office is a symmetrical, single-story reinforced concrete building with a full basement and mezzanine. The Treasury Department's Office of the Supervising Architect designed it in an Art Deco/PWA Moderne manner, with a smooth white facade, a central entrance beneath a bronze eagle, low-relief floral ornament and a dark green angular roof behind a false cornice. It sits in the city and county civic district near other Art Deco buildings. It is the only extant building, and one of few Depression-era relief projects, in Martinez and Contra Costa County. Inside, the lobby has birch paneling, terracotta tile and a 15 by 18 foot mural, "The Road to El Dorado," painted by Maynard Dixon and Edith Hamlin and installed in 1939. Alterations include a 1994 wheelchair ramp, replaced entrance doors and boarded rear windows where the Sheriff's department now works. The building keeps most of its original integrity.
Significance in brief: The building is a local example of Art Deco/PWA Moderne civic architecture and the only extant building, and one of few Depression-era government relief projects, in Martinez and Contra Costa County. It holds the mural "The Road to El Dorado" by Maynard Dixon and Edith Hamlin, commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. The state office concurred in significance under Criterion A for Politics/Government and Criterion C for Architecture and Art.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 12000265, listed May 8, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 815 Court St., Martinez |
|---|---|
| County | Contra Costa County |
| Listed | May 8, 2012 |
| Reference number | 12000265 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | U.S. Treasury Department, Office of the Supervising Architect, Procurement Division, Public Buildings Branch |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement: Art Deco/Public Works Administration (PWA) Moderne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture, Art |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still a post office, with a Contra Costa Sheriff department occupying the back of the building and the City of Martinez renting basement storage. Described as structurally sound and in good condition, needing maintenance investment. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.02008, -122.13411 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 12000265.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q133260171
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.