U.S. Post Office
Also known as: Federal Building; U.S. Post Office-El Viejo Station
Why it's listed
Standing on a corner lot two blocks from downtown Modesto, this one-story brick building with a raised basement was erected in 1932-33 as the city's federal building and post office. It was designed in 1931 by the Treasury Department's Supervising Architect's office, then headed in an acting capacity by James A. Wetmore, and built by Murch Brothers Construction Company of St. Louis. Round-arch terra cotta arcades, sandstone quoins, a granite base and a terra cotta entablature give the plain square mass its classical character. Inside, the public lobby keeps travertine walls and columns, a quarry tile floor and tempera murals painted by Ray Boynton in 1936, the only such murals in Modesto. The building was the first federal structure put up in the city and belonged to the large federal construction program begun under the Hoover administration. Its exterior remains nearly original, and it is considered a local landmark and neighborhood anchor.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues local significance in architecture, art and politics/government. It is a well-preserved example of a small neoclassical public building from the Supervising Architect's office. Its lobby holds the only Depression-era federally sponsored tempera murals in Modesto, and it was the first federal building erected in the city, as part of the Hoover-era building program.
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 83001246, listed February 10, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Twelfth and I Sts., Modesto |
|---|---|
| County | Stanislaus County |
| Listed | February 10, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001246 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Acting Supervising Architect James A. Wetmore (Supervising Architect's office, Treasury Department); built by Murch Brothers Construction Company of St. Louis |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical (classical idiom, Supervising Architect's office design) |
| Areas of significance | Art, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in government use; the exterior is described as virtually unaltered and well maintained, while the interior was remodeled in 1967 and the basement has few original finishes. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Coordinates | 37.64095, -120.99765 (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 83001246.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5352337
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.