US Post Office-Beacon
Also known as: Beacon Post Office
Why it's listed
Fieldstone gives this post office at 369 Main Street in Beacon, New York, a look unusual for its era. Built between 1935 and 1937 with a $110,000 federal authorization, it is a one-story, five-bay Colonial Revival building with a slate gable roof, cupola, pedimented front and a cast-pewter eagle. Gilbert Stanley Underwood, a consulting architect who worked mostly in the western states, designed it, and it was his only post office in New York. Most post offices of the time were red brick, but this one uses local fieldstone, echoing the Dutch Colonial building tradition of the area. Inside, the lobby has marble floors, a marble dado, and arched alcoves on marble pilasters. Charles Rosen painted the mural series in 1937 under the Treasury Relief Arts Project, showing county maps of the Hudson Valley and local scenes. The building is valued as an intact Depression-era federal work with notable art.
Significance in brief: The building is an intact example of 1930s federal Depression-era public works architecture in a refined Colonial Revival style. Its locally procured fieldstone exterior is a rare feature among post offices of the period and reflects the local Dutch Colonial building tradition. It also holds a well-preserved 1937 mural series by Charles Rosen, painted under the Treasury Relief Arts 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 88002456, listed November 17, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 369 Main St., Beacon |
|---|---|
| County | Dutchess County |
| Listed | November 17, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002456 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1935-1937 |
| Architect / builder | Gilbert Stanley Underwood, Consulting Architect |
| 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 and retaining a high degree of integrity inside and outside; still used as the post office, with some windows replaced. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.50412, -73.98066 (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 88002456.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14707550
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.