US Post Office-Catskill
Also known as: Catskill Post Office
Why it's listed
Catskill's post office at 270 Main Street is a one-story red brick building completed in 1935-6 as part of the federal public works programs of the Great Depression. Congress authorized it in 1931 among 136 new post offices and extensions planned for New York State, and four residences were cleared from the site before construction. Consulting architect E. P. Valkenburgh designed it within a framework set by the Supervising Architect of the Treasury. Its symmetrical seven-bay facade, multi-paned windows and brick walls reflect a simplified Colonial Revival style, while the stylized piers, flat roofline without a cornice and Art Deco terra-cotta panels show modernist influence. The original bronze railings, light standards, wooden entry doors and carved eagle remain, and the lobby keeps its ceramic tile wainscot. A 1966 rear addition and later interior changes are noted. The building sits within the East Side Historic District and is valued as a well-preserved small-town example of 1930s postal architecture in New York State.
Significance in brief: It is argued to be an intact representative example of federal architecture from the Depression-era public works programs. Its restrained Colonial Revival design is combined with modernist touches such as stylized piers, a flat roof with no cornice, and Art Deco terra-cotta ornament. It also illustrates the use of private consulting architects by the Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury.
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 88002471, listed November 17, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 270 Main St., Catskill |
|---|---|
| County | Greene County |
| Listed | November 17, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002471 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1935-6 |
| Architect / builder | E. P. Valkenburgh, Consulting Architect |
| Architectural style | Restrained Colonial Revival with Art Deco/modernist influences |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good and original site; occupied and in use as a post office. A 1966 rear addition is non-contributing, and the window sash and parts of the lobby have been altered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.21573, -73.86364 (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 88002471.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7890923
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.