US Post Office-El Centro Main
Also known as: El Centro Main Post Office
Why it's listed
Built between 1931 and 1932 at 230 South 5th Street, this one-story post office with a full basement serves El Centro, the Imperial County seat. A long arched loggia dominates the front, with Corinthian columns and pilasters, a wide terracotta frieze with dentils, wrought iron grates and railings, a bronze lantern over the entrance, and a red tile roof with copper gutters. Inside, the public lobby is decorated with plaster, marble and cast aluminum, and the floors use pink Tennessee marble borders. The exterior has not been altered. The building matters mainly at the local level because it is among the most monumental and refined structures in town and serves as a focus for the town's public spaces. Its Beaux-Arts Classical style was already dated by 1932, when Mediterranean Revival was the usual choice for small California post offices, so it is also an unusual, richly ornamented example of its type statewide.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is primarily significant locally as one of the most monumental and sophisticated buildings in El Centro. It has secondary state significance as a heavily ornamented small post office. Its Beaux-Arts Classical style was already about 15 years out of date by 1932, which makes it unusual among 1930s post offices.
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 85000125, listed January 11, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 230 S. 5th St., El Centro |
|---|---|
| County | Imperial County |
| Listed | January 11, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85000125 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1931-1932 |
| Architect / builder | OSA/James A. Wetmore; Louis A. Simon |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts Neo-Classicism, with Italianate/Second Renaissance Revival influence |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Exterior described as unaltered; the building is occupied and in government use. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 32.79081, -115.55484 (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 85000125.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q65075155
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.