Old Post Office Building
Also known as: City Hall Annex
Why it's listed
Built in 1898 on Crescent Street in the heart of Brockton's commercial and civic center, this former post office is a 2½-story brick building with granite trim, seven bays wide and four deep. A full Corinthian entablature wraps the structure, a slate hip roof carries a balustrade, and a four-stage cupola with an octagonal dome crowns the whole. The north facade has three round-arched center bays with fanlights and keystones, and garland and swag panels decorate the walls. A 1932 addition by James A. Wetmore, roughly triple the original size, extends from the rear and follows the original style. Designed by James Knox Taylor, the building is regarded as Brockton's finest Georgian Revival work. It served as the city's main postal facility for 75 years and became a local landmark. At the time of listing it was being renovated as a City Hall Annex, to be linked to City Hall by a pedestrian mall.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it Brockton's finest example of Georgian Revival architecture. It also served as the city's major postal facility for 75 years and has become a local landmark. Its architect, James Knox Taylor, also designed the Old Post Office in Fitchburg.
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 78000474, listed March 8, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Crescent St., Brockton |
|---|---|
| County | Plymouth County |
| Listed | March 8, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000474 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 (specific date 1898) |
| Architect / builder | James Knox Taylor (architect); James A. Wetmore designed the 1932 addition |
| Architectural style | Georgian Revival |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Excellent condition, altered very little; being renovated for reuse as a City Hall Annex at the time of nomination. |
| Acreage | 1.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.08084, -71.01891 (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 78000474.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7084770
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.