US Post Office-Metropolitan Station
Also known as: Metropolitan Post Office
Why it's listed
Metropolitan Station is a two-story, flat-roofed brick post office at 47 Debevoise Street in northwest Bushwick, Brooklyn. Completed in January 1937 by Gotham Construction Company, it was one of four post offices built in Brooklyn in the mid-1930s as part of federal building projects meant to ease Depression-era unemployment. Its architect is unknown, though it was designed under Supervising Architect Louis A. Simon and was probably the work of a consulting architect. The Colonial Revival design features a projecting three-bay central pavilion, a continuous ground-floor arcade of round-arched windows with splayed brick lintels, a limestone beltcourse and a modest molded cornice. The facade arcade appears to be inspired by Federal style architecture. Inside, the lobby keeps its black terrazzo floor, white marble wainscot and plaster ceiling, although the screenline is new. A modern rear addition is not counted as historic. The building was listed as an intact representative of 1930s federal construction and a distinctive local landmark.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an intact, representative example of federal architecture from Depression-era public works programs. It is an elegant example of the Colonial Revival style favored for post offices in the 1920s and 1930s, distinguished by its arcaded facade and brick, limestone and wood details. It is also described as one of the most distinctive buildings in its neighborhood.
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 88002462, listed November 17, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 47 Debevoise St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Brooklyn |
| Listed | November 17, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002462 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1936-7 |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; Gotham Construction Company was general contractor |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good condition; exterior and interior retain integrity, though the interior has been considerably altered and a modern one-story addition is non-contributing. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.70188, -73.94114 (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 88002462.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7891067
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.