US Post Office-Olean
Also known as: Olean Post Office
Why it's listed
Olean's post office, at South Union and West State Streets, was built between 1910 and 1912 to designs overseen by James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect of the Treasury. The two-story building has a tan pressed-brick exterior over a granite foundation, with five round-arched openings across the front, limestone trim and a hip roof. Its frieze of colored trim and diagonal brick with diamond panels sits beneath a carved wooden bracketed cornice with exposed rafters. That wood cornice is unique among Taylor's New York post offices, which mostly follow Classical models with stone or terra-cotta cornices. The Renaissance-inspired detailing also echoes the neighboring 1909 public library. Inside, the lobby keeps its high ceiling, modillioned cornice, oak woodwork, paneled wainscoting and cast-iron stairs. The federal government bought the site in 1909, and the project cost $79,540. A 1950s rear addition is the main later change to the building.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is architecturally significant as a distinguished example of early twentieth-century public architecture in New York State. It is a late and unusual work by Taylor, mixing Italian Renaissance and Craftsman motifs, with a carved wood cornice and decorative brick frieze unique among his New York post offices. Its styling also complements the adjacent 1909 Olean Public Library.
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 88002388, listed May 11, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 102 S. Union St., Olean |
|---|---|
| County | Cattaraugus County |
| Listed | May 11, 1989 |
| Reference number | 88002388 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect; F. H. Rogers, superintendent of construction; William Werner, contractor |
| Architectural style | Eclectic, combining Italian Renaissance and Craftsman motifs |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied and in use as a post office; the form says upstairs spaces are unused. A 1950s rear addition is non-contributing. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.07709, -78.43032 (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 88002388.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7891016
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.