US Post Office-Flushing Main
Also known as: Flushing Main Post Office
Why it's listed
Flushing's main post office, at 41-65 Main Street, is a symmetrical two-story steel-frame building faced in handmade red brick laid in Flemish bond, with Vermont Danby marble trim. Its front features a marble portico with six Ionic columns, a pediment with an eagle roundel, and three round-arched entrances with bronze-framed fanlights. Inside, the lobby combines five types of marble, bronze fixtures and a largely intact screenline. Built between 1932 and 1934, it was designed by New York architect Dwight James Baum and William W. Knowles, who served as consulting architects to the Treasury's Supervising Architect. It is regarded as one of the largest and finest Colonial Revival post offices in New York State, and was chosen for a travelling Treasury photographic exhibition around 1935. A continuous mural by Vincent Aderente, showing scenes from Flushing's history, was commissioned under the Public Works of Art Program in 1933-4. It is the only post office mural in the state produced under that program.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is one of the largest and finest Colonial Revival post offices built in New York State during the Great Depression, and the most distinguished of those in New York City. It also holds an artistically significant lobby mural cycle by Vincent Aderente, the only post office mural in the state made under the Public Works of 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 88002507, listed November 17, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 41-65 Main St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Queens |
| Listed | November 17, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002507 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1932-4; 1933-4 (specific dates) |
| Architect / builder | Dwight James Baum, William W. Knowles, Consulting Architects |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Art, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied, in good condition, on its original site, and retaining a high degree of integrity inside and out; present use is government. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.75926, -73.82815 (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 88002507.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7890950
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.