US Post Office-Cooper Station
Also known as: Cooper Station Post Office
Why it's listed
Cooper Station Post Office occupies the northeast corner of Fourth Avenue and East 11th Street in Manhattan's East Village. Built in 1936-7 as "Station D Annex," it is a three-story building faced in buff brick with limestone trim. Its facade curves around the corner rather than meeting it at a right angle, and a two-story colonnade of seven reeded Doric columns marks the center. Two entrances have original double doors with Art Deco metal grilles and sculpted eagles. Inside, a curved public lobby has red marble columns, marble wainscot, pilasters and floor, and plaster walls and ceiling. William Dewey Foster designed it as a consulting architect for the Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury, one of ten New York State post offices by him. It was built during the Depression-era federal works program, and the nomination calls it one of the most important post office buildings in New York City.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a sophisticated example of a refined Classical Revival post office in New York State. Its facade curves around a corner lot, which is rare for New York City, and is fronted by a two-story limestone colonnade. It is one of ten New York State post offices designed by Foster and one of five he designed for Manhattan.
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 88002360, 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 Fourth St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | May 11, 1989 |
| Reference number | 88002360 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1936-7 |
| Architect / builder | William Dewey Foster, Consulting Architect |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied, in good condition, altered but retaining a high degree of integrity inside and out; the original teller screen was partly removed. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.73205, -73.98969 (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 88002360.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q9051836
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.