US Post Office-North Tonawanda
Also known as: North Tonawanda Post Office
Why it's listed
Located at the corner of Oliver and Goundry Streets in North Tonawanda, this two-story post office was built between 1912 and 1914 and still serves as a post office. Its buff-colored brick walls rise from a limestone and granite base to a limestone cornice and balustrade, topped by a hip roof and a round wood cupola with Doric columns and a domed roof. A colossal portico with coupled columns and a triangular pediment marks the entrance. The cornerstone names Oscar Wenderoth, Supervising Architect of the Treasury from 1912 to 1914, though the design may date to his predecessor James Knox Taylor's tenure. The building is valued as an unusual Neoclassical design blending Colonial Revival details, and its cupola is the earliest of its kind on a New York State post office. It was built in an industrial district near the railroad, where its dignified presence serves as a neighborhood landmark. The lobby keeps terrazzo floors, marble pilasters and an ornate staircase, and a 1961 rear addition does not contribute.
Significance in brief: It is argued to be an outstanding and unusual example of an early twentieth-century public building in New York State. It combines plain facades with a limestone pedimented portico and a domed wood cupola, the earliest such cupola on a New York post office. It was built just before federal post office designs were standardized after 1915.
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 88002357, listed May 11, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 141 Goundry St., North Tonawanda |
|---|---|
| County | Niagara County |
| Listed | May 11, 1989 |
| Reference number | 88002357 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1912-14 |
| Architect / builder | Oscar Wenderoth, Supervising Architect |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Public ownership and occupied; exterior retains a high degree of integrity and the interior to a lesser degree; a 1961 rear addition is non-contributing. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 43.02473, -78.87278 (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 88002357.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7891012
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.