US Post Office-Flatbush Station
Also known as: Flatbush Station
Why it's listed
Flatbush Station is a two-story red brick post office at 2273 Church Avenue in Brooklyn, designed in 1935 and completed in 1936. Its steep gable roof, symmetrical facade, twelve-over-twelve windows, limestone lintels and sills, ocular gable window and multi-paned transom give it the look of an idealized Georgian-era house. Lorimer Rich, a consulting architect to the Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury, is credited with the design. Rich is best known for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. The building was one of many post offices authorized during the 1930s as public works projects responding to Depression-era unemployment. It was needed because apartment construction in the 1920s had sharply increased Flatbush's population. Its academic Colonial Revival design is unusual compared with most New York State post offices of the period, and it relates closely to Kensington Station in Brooklyn and West Farms Station in the Bronx. The exterior remains largely intact, while the lobby has been altered.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is architecturally significant for its distinctive, academic use of Colonial Revival for a public building, designed to resemble an idealized Georgian-style residence. It is credited to consulting architect Lorimer Rich and was part of the federal public works program of the Great Depression. It is atypical among New York State post offices of the period.
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 88002460, listed November 17, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2273 Church Ave., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Brooklyn |
| Listed | November 17, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002460 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Lorimer Rich, consulting architect; Pfeiffer and Neumeyer Construction Company of New York City, general contractors |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good and altered; exterior retains a high degree of integrity, interior less so. Lobby has a dropped ceiling, security screenline and modern lockboxes. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.65076, -73.95626 (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 88002460.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7890947
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.