US Post Office-Rye
Also known as: Rye Post Office
Why it's listed
Rye's post office at 41 Purdy Avenue is a one-story, steel-frame building faced in Flemish-bond red brick on a limestone foundation. It was authorized by Congress in 1931 as part of a public works program responding to Depression unemployment, and was built in 1935-36 for about $145,000 or less, following a design by the Office of the Supervising Architect under Louis A. Simon. Its five-bay front has limestone corner pilasters, a plain broad cornice, and window surrounds carved with a Greek key pattern, giving it a temple-like quality unusual among the plainer small-town post offices of the period. Inside, the lobby keeps its black marble wainscot, terrazzo floor and plaster detail. Above the postmaster's office hangs a 1938 mural by Guy Pene du Bois showing John Jay at his home in Rye, commissioned through the Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts. The building is valued as a well-preserved example of standardized federal design and Depression-era public art.
Significance in brief: It is an intact example of the federal public works architecture of the Great Depression, a Colonial Revival design that also draws on Greek Revival precedents through its limestone pilasters, cornice and ornamented door and window surrounds. It also holds a well-preserved 1938 mural by Guy Pene du Bois, painted for 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 88002426, listed May 11, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 41 Purdy Ave., Rye |
|---|---|
| County | Westchester County |
| Listed | May 11, 1989 |
| Reference number | 88002426 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific dates 1935-6; 1937) |
| Architect / builder | Louis A. Simon, Supervising Architect; Eastern Construction Company, Inc. (construction contractor) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival with Greek Revival influences |
| Areas of significance | Art, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied and in good condition, altered but retaining a high degree of integrity inside and out; it has been well maintained. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.98442, -73.68260 (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 88002426.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7891040
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.