US Post Office-Napa Franklin Station
Why it's listed
Built in 1933 on Second Street in Napa, this post office is a red brick building with a symmetrical front, a projecting center section and two stepped-back end wings. Six bays are separated by seven brick piers topped with terracotta capitals, and a cornice of terracotta rams' and cows' heads alternating with oval shields crowns the facade. Art Deco eagles sit above the lobby doors. Inside, the twenty-foot lobby has a gilt, raised plaster ceiling, a terrazzo floor divided by marble strips, original cast bronze drop lights and brass post office boxes. William H. Corlett, a Napa architect who also served on the city council and county school board, designed it. It was listed as a rare local example of Art Deco and as a New Deal-era federal building that shows how Art Deco ideas shaped the Starved Classicism of later federal design. Changes have been minor, and the floor plan is largely unchanged.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a rare example of Art Deco in Napa and one of a few California post offices with such overt Art Deco elements. It represents the New Deal building programs and the transition toward Starved Classicism in federal design. It is also highly intact, with an elaborately decorated lobby and distinctive terracotta ornament, and is an example of William Corlett's work.
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 85000133, listed January 11, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1352 2nd St., Napa |
|---|---|
| County | Napa County |
| Listed | January 11, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85000133 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (construction begun and completed 1933) |
| Architect / builder | William H. Corlett, Reed and Corlett Associated Architects |
| Architectural style | Art Deco, with Starved Classicism influence |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in excellent condition, with careful maintenance; the basement workroom was converted to office space leased to federal agencies in 1965. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Coordinates | 38.29870, -122.28850 (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 85000133.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18157276
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.