US Post Office-Johnson City
Also known as: Johnson City Post Office
Why it's listed
Located at the western edge of Johnson City's commercial district, this one-story brick post office was authorized in 1931 and built in 1934-35 as part of Depression-era public works. Designed under Treasury Supervising Architect Louis A. Simon, it is an extremely simple Colonial Revival building. Its colonial references are limited to red brick, multi-paned sash, and a Corinthian-columned entrance portico with original wooden double doors. It is one of three nearly identical Simon designs, the others being in Carthage and Monticello. A rear addition of 1956 is considered non-contributing. Inside, the lobby has a terrazzo floor, marble baseboards and a wooden wainscot. Its walls carry seven murals painted in 1937 by Frederic Charles Knight through the Treasury Relief Art Project. They show postal service scenes and local industries such as shoemaking, camera manufacturing and dairy farming. The mural cycle is among the most extensive in New York State and adds to the building's architectural importance.
Significance in brief: The building is an intact example of a 1930s federal public works post office, with simple, standardized Colonial Revival design. It is one of three nearly identical Louis A. Simon designs from the early 1930s. It also holds one of the most extensive post office mural cycles in New York State, painted in 1937 by Frederic Charles Knight for the Treasury Relief Art Project.
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 88002336, listed May 11, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 307 Main St., Johnson City |
|---|---|
| County | Broome County |
| Listed | May 11, 1989 |
| Reference number | 88002336 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1934-5; 1937 |
| Architect / builder | Treasury Department; Louis A. Simon, Supervising Architect; Weinstein Construction Company (general contractor) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Art, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as well maintained, in good condition and retaining a high degree of integrity; a 1956 rear addition is non-contributing. Owned by the United States Postal Service. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Johnson City Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.11602, -75.95815 (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 88002336.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7890978
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.