United States Post Office (Lake George, New York)
The U.S. Post Office in Lake George in New York is the branch of the United States Postal Service for the Village, the surrounding Town of Queensbury and the parts that belong to the ZIP Code 12845. The post office is located on the corner of Canada Street (U.S. 9/NY 9N) and Kurosaka Lane ( the former James Street). It is a small brick building, which was built shortly before the Second World War.
The building was the former chief architect of the United States Department of the Treasury, Louis A. Simon designed revival in a restrained interpretation of the Colonial, but has some allusions of modernism. A mural showing the Lake George, was later incorporated into the main hall. The building was registered in 1989 in the National Register of Historic Places and is the only post office in Warren County, which is recognized in this way as a historic structure.
Building
The post office is located at the western end of a narrow parcel that falls snaft to the shore of the lake, on the north- western corner of the intersection. The buildings in the neighborhood are used commercially. To the east of the building is a parking lot that has an access road from the Kurosaka Lane from. The building is liberally set back from the street, gardens and hedges are in front of the building.
In the building there is a one-story steel-framed building on a raised foundation of poured concrete, which is covered with the English Association of black bricks. The facade on the front has five bays and stands out due to an outstanding pavilion with three bays, which cranked at the corners gable roof is covered with slate. All other roof surfaces of the building are flat roofs. On the roof line of a mural crown extends around the entire building around. On the back there is a stepped ramp.
The central pavilion has chamfered corners. The entrance in the center of the front facade is formed by an archway whose surround, lintel and keystone are built of brick Theen. A manufactured as stone carved eagle sits above the door. At the top of the facade is the inscription made of bronze letter " UNITED STATES POST OFFICE " in smaller letters below it " LAKE GEORGE NEW YORK 12845 ". Three granite steps leading from the sidewalk up to the entrance; a ramp leads from the south along the facade there. It is bordered by iron railings and freestanding lanterns.
The main hall inside is L-shaped. The floor is of terrazzo, a wainscoting of green, veined marble from Vermont runs on the turns and extends to the height of the counters up. In addition to wood paneling are information boards. The tables and switches are original. Judson Smith's mural was painted on canvas and hangs above the entrance door to the office of postmaster.
History
Lake George had a post office, twelve years after the Town was chosen as the county seat of the newly established since 1825, was at that time still the name of Caldwell, after a major landowner in the area. For most of the 19th century was housed for rent in other buildings, the post office. During this time, the Village of a commercial center in the southeastern Adirondack Mountains and resting place walked on the main trade route to Canada for a busy summer colony.
In 1938, Congress approved $ 75,000 ( 1,289,000 U.S. dollars adjusted for inflation) for the construction of the present Post Office. This measure was part of the measures to overcome the global economic crisis. A year later, the property was purchased and begun the construction. The new post office was established in early 1941 for its intended purpose.
Louis Simon, the former chief architect of the United States Department of the Treasury chose the Colonial Revival architectural style of the building. This style was at that time standard for post offices in small, rural places. Notable features of this style of architecture, the brick facade, the eagle ornaments and the symmetrically arranged windows at the post office of Lake George. The prominent centrally located pavilion with the flanking Jochen is an allusion to the Georgian architecture.
He also used design elements of contemporary modernism and Art Deco, such as the chamfered corners, the asymmetrical windows and the large brick surfaces above the window. Only two other post offices in the state, in Frankfort and Middleport, which originated around the same time, the same design was used. The post office in Westhampton Beach on Long Iceland, built in 1940, is quite similar. All three illustrate the influence of another post office on Long Iceland, the 1937 -built post office Rockville Centre.
Judson Smith's mural was installed in 1942. With the exception of the installation of fluorescent lights in the main hall in 1973, the building was not changed significantly.