US Post Office-Canton
Also known as: Canton Post Office
Why it's listed
Facing the village park in Canton's central business district, this one-story red brick post office was built in 1936-37 from designs by the Treasury Department's Office of the Supervising Architect, led by Louis A. Simon. Its truncated triangular plan was shaped to fit an irregular lot, giving it an unusual nine-bay front only one bay deep. Colonial Revival details include a central entrance with pilasters and a fanlight, a Palladian window on the north end, multi-paned sash, a hip roof and a three-part octagonal cupola. The site was bought in 1935 and the building cost $77,000, replacing a hotel. Inside, the lobby has been altered, but terrazzo floors and marble wainscoting remain. A painted plaster relief by Berta Margoulies, installed in 1939, shows Stillman Foote acquiring the land that became Canton. The building is valued as a well-preserved example of Depression-era federal architecture and art, and it contributes to the Village Park Historic District.
Significance in brief: It is an intact example of Depression-era federal public works architecture in the Colonial Revival style. Its nine-bay width, trapezoidal plan, elaborate entrance detailing and multi-tiered cupola set it apart from other post offices designed under Louis A. Simon. It also holds a 1939 relief sculpture by Berta Margoulies, commissioned by the Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts.
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 88002469, listed November 17, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Park St., Canton |
|---|---|
| County | St. Lawrence County |
| Listed | November 17, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002469 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific dates 1936-7; 1939) |
| Architect / builder | Louis A. Simon, Supervising Architect; built by a contracting firm headed by Leon Wexler of Schenectady, New York |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Art, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as well maintained and in good condition, with the exterior highly intact; the lobby has been substantially altered. The form lists the building as occupied. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Village Park Historic District (Boundary Increase) |
| Coordinates | 44.59543, -75.16923 (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 88002469.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14707551
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.