US Post Office-Potsdam
Also known as: Potsdam Post Office
Why it's listed
Located at 21 Elm Street in Potsdam, New York, this post office was built in 1932-33 and opened for business on March 6, 1933. The two-story, U-shaped building is clad in yellow brick with limestone trim. Its main facade has a colossal seven-bay recessed portico with fluted Greek Doric columns, reached by granite stairs flanked by cast-iron urns. Funds of $135,000 were appropriated under the Public Buildings Act, and Rosen & Fischel of Chicago served as builder. The design came from the office of James A. Wetmore, Acting Supervising Architect of the Treasury. Most small New York post offices of the era used a Colonial Revival style, so this Classical Revival design is unusual and recalls earlier work by James Knox Taylor, such as the Fulton Post Office. The interior has been heavily altered, though parts of the lobby keep terrazzo floors, marble baseboards and cast-stone walls. The exterior still fits the scale and materials of the nearby Market Street Historic District.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an outstanding example of federal Depression-era public works architecture. It is one of few New York post offices of its period designed in the Classical Revival style, with a colossal Greek Doric portico, rather than the more common Colonial Revival. It also complements nearby buildings in the Market Street Historic District in scale, color and materials.
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 88002410, listed May 11, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 21 Elm St., Potsdam |
|---|---|
| County | St. Lawrence County |
| Listed | May 11, 1989 |
| Reference number | 88002410 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1932-3 |
| Architect / builder | James A. Wetmore, Acting Supervising Architect; builder Rosen & Fischel of Chicago, Illinois |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied and in good condition; the interior was heavily altered within the two years before the form, though the exterior retains integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 44.66947, -74.98438 (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 88002410.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7891034
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.