US Post Office-Cooperstown
Also known as: Cooperstown Post Office
Why it's listed
Standing on the north side of Main Street at the eastern edge of Cooperstown's business district, this post office was built in 1935-36 to a design from the Treasury Department's Office of the Supervising Architect, led by Louis A. Simon. Samuel Plato of Kokomo, Indiana held the construction contract, and the building replaced a row of commercial buildings that included the former Hoffman House Hotel. Red brick laid in English bond, multi-paned windows and a hipped roof reflect Colonial Revival practice, while a limestone pedimented central section with four pilasters recalls a Greek temple. It is one of seven nearly identical designs built in New York between 1935 and 1942, and it is the most divergent of them. Although the lobby was remodeled in 1978 and 1981, a 1938 cast-metal relief by Bela Janowsky survives in the vestibule. It depicts James Fenimore Cooper and two of his characters. The building's intact exterior, standardized Depression-era design and artwork support its listing.
Significance in brief: It is an intact example of federal public works architecture from the Great Depression, with a restrained Colonial Revival design that emphasizes Greek Revival elements. It is one of seven nearly identical post offices designed by Louis A. Simon in New York between 1935 and 1942. It also holds a 1938 cast-metal relief by Bela Janowsky made under a Treasury art program.
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 88002473, listed November 17, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 28-40 Main St., Cooperstown |
|---|---|
| County | Otsego County |
| Listed | November 17, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002473 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1935-6; 1938 |
| Architect / builder | Louis A. Simon, Supervising Architect; Samuel Plato of Kokomo, Indiana (construction contract) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival with Greek Revival elements |
| Areas of significance | Art, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Exterior retains a high degree of integrity and is well maintained; the lobby was completely altered in 1978 and 1981. The building is occupied. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Cooperstown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.70044, -74.92293 (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 88002473.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7890929
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.