La Jolla Post Office
Also known as: US Post Office, La Jolla, California; La Jolla Main Post Office
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Why it's listed
Built in 1935 at the eastern end of Wall Street, the La Jolla Post Office is a poured-in-place reinforced concrete building designed by Treasury Supervising Architect Louis A. Simon. Its cubistic form, smooth walls, red tile side-gabled roof and unequal side pavilions combine Spanish Colonial, Pueblo Revival, Art Deco and WPA Moderne influences, a mix contemporaries called modified Spanish. In 1960 architect William Lumpkins added a rear section that doubled the floor space, responding to growth after the University of California opened its San Diego campus and the La Jolla ZIP code expanded. Inside, the lobby holds an oil-on-canvas landscape mural by Belle Baranceanu, painted within months of completion and drawn from sketches she made climbing Mt. Soledad. It is one of two of her San Diego murals open to the public. The building was recognized for its part in La Jolla's civic development and for its architecture and art. It remains an active post office in excellent condition.
Significance in brief: It is significant under Criterion A for its role in La Jolla's community development, from the 1930s through the 1960 expansion tied to the University of California San Diego campus and the expanded 92037 ZIP code. It is significant under Criterion C as a mid-1930s federal building blending Modern and Period Revival styles, and for its 1935 lobby mural by Belle Baranceanu, one of two of her San Diego murals still publicly accessible.
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 12001109, listed January 2, 2013. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1140 Wall St., San Diego |
|---|---|
| County | San Diego County |
| Listed | January 2, 2013 |
| Reference number | 12001109 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | Criterion A: 1935-1960; Criterion C: 1935 |
| Architect / builder | Louis A. Simon, Supervising Architect, Procurement Division, Department of the Treasury (1935 original construction); William Lumpkins, Artist & Architect (1960 addition) |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture, Art |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a post office; the building is described as being in excellent condition with a high level of maintenance. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.84734, -117.27242 (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 12001109.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q133456489
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.