US Post Office-Corning
Also known as: Corning Post Office
Why it's listed
Corning's main post office at 129 Walnut Street is a one-story building of pressed yellow brick on a granite-clad base, built in 1908-09 to a design from the office of Supervising Architect James Knox Taylor. Its three-bay facade is dominated by a shallow pedimented portico with paired terra-cotta columns, and the cornice carries modillions. The terra-cotta trim was made locally and scribed to resemble sawn limestone. Inside, an L-shaped lobby has a terrazzo floor, oak paneling and pilasters, a classical plaster cornice and original cast-bronze fixtures. A compatible addition was made in 1930. Construction by a Saginaw, Michigan, firm cost $49,948. The building is significant as a well-proportioned Neoclassical work from the period when Taylor steered federal architecture away from heavy Romanesque designs toward classical models. Its lobby is considered unusually intact among comparable New York post offices, and the building remains a symbol of the federal presence in Corning.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an outstanding example of a Neoclassical public building in New York State and an important work of James Knox Taylor. It is noted for its locally made terra-cotta ornament and its pedimented portico with paired columns. Its interior lobby is described as among the most intact of the early-twentieth-century post offices in the thematic group.
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 88002474, listed November 17, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 129 Walnut St., Corning |
|---|---|
| County | Steuben County |
| Listed | November 17, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002474 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1908-1930 |
| Architect / builder | James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect; built by Fruechtal-Scheurman Co., Limited of Saginaw, Michigan |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical (Beaux-Arts-inspired details) |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied, in good condition, and retains a high degree of integrity; still used as the main post office. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.14281, -77.05738 (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 88002474.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7890930
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.