US Post Office-Spring Valley
Also known as: Spring Valley Post Office
Why it's listed
Spring Valley's post office, at 7 North Madison Avenue, is a one-story brick building completed in 1937 during the Great Depression. Authorized by Congress in 1931 and funded with an $85,000 appropriation, it was built by Chester Construction Company to a standardized design from the office of Supervising Architect Louis A. Simon. Its steel frame is clad in red brick, with a three-bay central pavilion, recessed side wings, a round-arched entrance, brick pilasters with stone capitals and a shallow pediment meant to suggest a Greek temple. The building is a modest Colonial Revival example, typical of many New York post offices of the period. Inside, the lobby has been altered, but it keeps terrazzo floors, marble wainscoting and a 1938 mural by Stephen Etnier titled "Waiting for the Mail." The mural shows an airplane wing, a man leaning on a fence and a ship's bow. The building is valued for its intact exterior and this artwork.
Significance in brief: It is an intact example of federal public-works architecture from the Great Depression, built in a restrained Colonial Revival style that stresses Greek Revival precedents such as brick pilasters and a shallow pediment. It also contains a well-preserved 1938 mural by Stephen Etnier, commissioned by the Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts. It is one of about eighty New York post offices reflecting Simon's standardized designs.
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 88002432, listed May 11, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 7 N. Madison Ave., Spring Valley |
|---|---|
| County | Rockland County |
| Listed | May 11, 1989 |
| Reference number | 88002432 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific dates 1936-7; 1938) |
| Architect / builder | Louis A. Simon, Supervising Architect; built by Chester Construction Company |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, emphasizing Greek Revival precedents |
| Areas of significance | Art, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as well maintained, in good to excellent condition and retaining high exterior integrity; the lobby has been altered and extended. It is government-owned and occupied. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.11303, -74.04580 (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 88002432.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7891047
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.