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Former (Former) Clarksville Tennessee Post Office

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Former Clarksville TN Post Office 37040
Former Clarksville TN Post Office 37040

ADDRESS: 200 S. Second Street, Clarksville, Tennessee 37040

My research reveled there was a mural installed in the old Clarksville post office. Which post office in Clarksville? I have no idea. The building I show in this article seems too old to have had artwork from the depression, but maybe I’m wrong. What little I did find, mentions F. Luis Mora and is titled “Arrival of Col. John Donaldson”. My research also revels this may have been destroyed. Does anyone out there know anything about the Clarksville mural? Better yet do you have pictures of it?  Howard Hull’s book doesn’t even mention Clarksville.

I found the downtown Clarksville, TN building but this was from the 1960’s. I’m posting this article in hopes that someone out there has some information they’d be willing to share.

At the time I visited, I wasn’t willing to pay the admission since I was only interested in this section of the museum. After speaking with the front desk, I was also told there is no mural and the building was remodeled when it became the museum. No need to pay $7 for a quick look inside I said to myself.  My wife was also waiting in the car and we were in a hurry to get dinner.

Now that I’m writing up this article, I kind of wish I would have taken the extra few minutes to see the interior of this old building. Although, I may not have seen anything related to the old post office days, I think it would have been neat just be inside such an old very beautiful building. So folks you can learn from my mistakes. If you get the chance to view the inside of this building I’s suggest you take a few minutes to go inside, and if you do please report back and comment below.

Thanks,

David W. Gates Jr.

Sources

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Comments

  1. Hi,

    The Customs House museum is partially in the old building which has been restored to it’s original interior. The murals you refer to were in the “new” post office which sadly was destroyed. The study for the murals can be found in the collection of the Smithsonian Museum of American Art.
    The Customs House museum also has photos (b&w) of the murals in the post office.

    • Hi Kali,

      Thanks for the comment and further information about this one. Do you by chance happen to know when or how the old building was destroyed? I was looking for information about it but have not been able to locate anything about it.

      I was thinking about maybe an old newspaper clipping, but I’ve yet to figure out which ones to check. I’m from Illinois so I’m not a local who would know where to look.

      Anyway, thanks for the comment.

      Take care,
      David

  2. The Clarksville Tennessee Customs house was originally began and planned in the summer of 1895 but because of the Panic of 1893 and its financial effects its ground breaking was not begun until September of 1897. The winning bid contractor was Charles Alonzo Moses from Chicago Ill, the supervising architect was David Ashbury Murphy (Civil War Veteran) from Ohio. The construction of the customs house took little over a year to complete, ending in November of 1898. It is done in the Romanesque revival style, though a myth had arisen that David Murphy had been arrested in China and a Chinese princes had been smitten by him and secretly rescued and released him. Murphy then honoring her valiant effort designed the building in a “oriental style”. That myth was from a 1920’s Leaf-Chronical news article. The usage of the Post-Customhouse was from 1898 to 1935 when a new building was constructed in 1936. The building was purchased from the City of Clarksville by the Clarksville historical society in 1984 and has been a depository of Clarksville Montgomery county history ever since.

    • Thanks for the detailed information Mr. Rosado. When I was in Clarksville, I wasn’t able to locate the building that was done in 1935? So you happen to know the address of that building?

      Take care

      David