Federal Post Office
Also known as: Riverside Municpal Museum
Why it's listed
Built in 1912 at the corner of 7th and Orange Streets in Riverside, this federal post office combines a simple neo-classical form with Mission Revival ornament. James K. Taylor, a draughtsman in the U.S. Architects Office, designed it, and the Southwestern Construction Company of Los Angeles built it for roughly 100,000 dollars. Vermont marble, California granite and marble, local cement and redwood woodwork were used. Distinctive features include a seven-arch arcade, semicircular false fronts recalling the Carmel mission, and a tiled roof. The building served as a post office from 1912 to 1938, housed the 4th Air Force headquarters during World War II, and was sold to the city in 1945. The police department and the museum shared it from the late 1940s until 1965, when the museum took the whole building. It displays the Rumsey collection of Indian artifacts and was designated a local landmark for complementing nearby Mission Revival buildings.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is architecturally significant as a successful blend of turn-of-the-century neo-classical design with strong Mission Revival detailing, complementing nearby downtown landmarks such as the Mission Inn. It is also tied to the founding of the Riverside Municipal Museum and the Rumsey collection. Local evaluation is given as the level of significance.
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 78000737, listed November 20, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3720 Orange St., Riverside |
|---|---|
| County | Riverside County |
| Listed | November 20, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000737 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Architect: James K. Taylor; Builder: Southwestern Construction Company |
| Architectural style | Neo-classical with Mission Revival influence |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently in use as the Riverside Municipal Museum; interior extensively remodeled for museum use, with a small rear addition and some replaced doors. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Coordinates | 33.98194, -117.37243 (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 78000737.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q133439387
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.