US Post Office-Tonawanda
Also known as: Tonawanda Post Office
Why it's listed
Tonawanda's main post office at 96 Seymour Street is a red brick Colonial Revival building completed in 1939-40. It rises one and a half stories on a limestone-clad foundation, with a slate gabled roof, an octagonal domed cupola over the central bays, and pedimented end pavilions. Windows are twelve-over-twelve sash set in recessed segmental arches, and the central entrance has engaged Doric columns and a fanlight. A 1964 addition on the north side extends the front to eleven bays but is not counted as historic. The post office was one of 136 planned for New York State under the 1931 amendment to the Public Buildings Act of 1926, a Depression-era public works effort. The Office of the Supervising Architect, directed by Louis A. Simon, designed it, and it is the largest of eight Erie County post offices from the period. Inside, the lobby has been heavily altered, and a 1942-3 mural by Symeon Shimin has been removed.
Significance in brief: It is an intact, representative example of a federal building erected under Depression-era public works programs. It was designed in the Colonial Revival style by the Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury under Louis A. Simon. It is the largest of the eight Erie County post offices of the period and shows typical 1930s post office design.
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 88002437, listed May 11, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 96 Seymour St., Tonawanda |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Listed | May 11, 1989 |
| Reference number | 88002437 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1939-40 |
| Architect / builder | Louis A. Simon, Supervising Architect; built by Henry Dattner, general contractor, of Detroit, Michigan |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as the post office; the lobby is heavily altered and the Shimin mural has been removed. The 1923 former post office across Fletcher Street is vacant. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 43.01693, -78.87943 (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 88002437.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7891055
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.