US Post Office-Saratoga Springs
Also known as: Saratoga Springs Post Office
Why it's listed
Standing at the corner of Broadway, Church Street and Lake Avenue in downtown Saratoga Springs, this one-story post office was built between 1909 and 1911. Designed by James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect of the Treasury, it is clad in yellow Roman brick with a granite foundation, limestone trim and marble details. A monumental arched entrance with polished white marble Doric columns and bronze work fronts Broadway, and arched windows line the sides. Inside, the large public lobby has a coffered ceiling and a curved leaded-glass skylight. Two murals titled "Saratoga in the Racing Season," painted by Guy Pene du Bois in 1936-37 under a New Deal art program, flank the entrance. The building is one of thirteen Taylor post offices in the thematic group and is more elaborate than many plainer post offices of its era. It also contributes to the Broadway Historic District and relates well to nearby City Hall and the Adirondack Trust building. Later changes include a mailing platform added around 1961 and lobby alterations in 1974.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an exceptionally fine early twentieth-century public building, combining Neoclassical massing with Italian Renaissance-inspired detail such as patterned brick, veined marble columns and ornate bronze work. It is an important example of James Knox Taylor's work, one of thirteen Taylor post offices in the thematic group. The lobby holds two 1936-37 murals by Guy Pene du Bois, painted under the Treasury Relief Art Project.
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 88002427, listed May 11, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 475 Broadway, Saratoga Springs |
|---|---|
| County | Saratoga County |
| Listed | May 11, 1989 |
| Reference number | 88002427 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1909-11; 1936-7 |
| Architect / builder | James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect; contractor Mark P. Wells of Philadelphia; Victor A. DeProsse, superintendent of construction |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical, with Italian Renaissance-inspired embellishment |
| Areas of significance | Art, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good and altered; exterior changes are few, while the lobby was altered in 1974. The building is occupied and in postal use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Broadway Historic District |
| Coordinates | 43.08350, -73.78508 (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 88002427.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q2466420
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.