US Post Office-Medford Main
Also known as: Medford Main Post Office
Why it's listed
Medford's Main Post Office at 20 Forest Street is a brick, steel-frame federal building finished in December 1936 and dedicated in September 1937. Its L-shaped form has a seven-bay front with a projecting, pedimented central entrance, marble trim and tall multi-pane windows set in recessed panels. Inside, a two-story lobby has terrazzo floors and marble wainscot, and murals by Henry Billings depict the town's rum and shipbuilding trade. The building reflects Public Works Administration policies of the 1930s, with a standardized six-area plan, local brick and a side-street site chosen for efficient mail handling. Its design draws on the Greek Revival forms popular in New England in the 1830s and 1840s. Arthur L. Blakeslee, a Medford native, served as chief architect under Supervising Architect Louis A. Simon. It was the city's first federal building, brought central mail handling to Medford, and provided jobs during the Depression as part of a local building program that included City Hall.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a representative Public Works Administration-era federal building, reflecting 1930s priorities of economy, efficiency and functionalism in its L-shaped form, local brick, standardized six-area plan and side-street siting. It is also described as a regional Greek Revival-influenced adaptation of classical design, and as a product of the U.S. Supervisory Architect's office. It was Medford's first federal building and houses a mural by Henry Billings.
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 86001346, listed June 18, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 20 Forest St., Medford |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | June 18, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001346 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Louis A. Simon, Supervising Architect; Arthur L. Blakeslee, Chief Architect; Edmund J. Rappoli, Contractor |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival (regional Greek Revival expression) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Art, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in very good or excellent condition and occupied as a government post office; some alterations noted, including replaced doors, service counters and lighting. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Coordinates | 42.41913, -71.10947 (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 86001346.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7891158
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.