US Post Office-Lake Placid
Also known as: Lake Placid Post Office
Why it's listed
Located at 201 Main Street in Lake Placid, this post office is a one-story, steel-frame building faced in orange-buff brick, completed in September 1936 under an $85,000 appropriation. Authorized by Congress in 1931 as part of a Depression-era public buildings program, it was designed by the Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury under Louis A. Simon. Its style is an extremely simplified Colonial Revival, with a symmetrical facade, a classically inspired central entrance, a flat roof and broad brick surfaces that reflect modernist influences. Similar designs appeared in Mechanicville, Moravia and Watkins Glen. Inside, an L-shaped lobby has marble, ceramic tile and plaster finishes. Five murals painted in 1937 by Henry Billings for the Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts show ice skating, tobogganing and hockey, a fitting choice five years after the 1932 Olympic winter games held in the village. The building remains in use and well preserved.
Significance in brief: It is an intact example of Depression-era federal public works architecture, designed in an extremely simplified Colonial Revival style with modernist influences. It also holds five 1937 murals of winter sports by Henry Billings, commissioned by the Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts.
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 88002339, listed November 17, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 201 Main St., Lake Placid |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | November 17, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002339 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1935-6; 1937 |
| Architect / builder | Louis A. Simon, Supervising Architect; McDonald Construction Company of St. Louis (contractor) |
| Architectural style | Extremely simplified Colonial Revival with modernist influences |
| Areas of significance | Art, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in good condition; described as well maintained and retaining its integrity to a high degree on the exterior. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | New York Central Railroad Adirondack Division Historic District |
| Coordinates | 44.28520, -73.98345 (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 88002339.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7890986
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.