Artist

Plainfield New Jersey Post Office

July 18, 2021 By David W. Gates Jr.

ADDRESS: 201 Watchung Ave., Plainfield, New Jersey 07060
ARTIST: Anton Refregier
TITLE: Figures from American Folklore and Quilting Bee
MEDIUM: Oil on canvas (mural) 2 panels
STATUS: The Plainfield post office is still an active, operating facility, and the murals can be viewed by interested members of the public. One resides on a wall above the postmaster’s door. The other one resides in the lobby on the wall above the mailboxes.
YEAR: 1937

The battery on my phone was really dying when I arrived at the Plainfield building. I took a few quick pictures outside, but immediately went inside to photograph the murals. I wanted to get these before the battery quit on me.

Luckily, I was able to get the murals and the exterior photographs, but its a bit unsettling when I can’t tell how long I have until the phone quits.

The lobby and vestibule in this building is huge. I was not expecting to find such a large space, but I did. It was also very quiet and which was nice so I was able to work quickly with no interruptions.

David W. Gates Jr.

Plainfield New Jersey Post Office 07060 Cornerstone

Plainfield New Jersey Post Office 07060 Lobby

Plainfield New Jersey Post Office 07060 Mural1-3

Plainfield New Jersey Post Office 07060 Mural2-11

Plainfield New Jersey Post Office 07060 Mural2-3

Plainfield New Jersey Post Office 07060 Mural

Plainfield New Jersey Post Office 07060 Mural1-Signature

Plainfield New Jersey Post Office 07060 Mural1-5

Plainfield New Jersey Post Office 07060 Mural2-10

Plainfield New Jersey Post Office 07060 Mural2-9

Plainfield New Jersey Post Office 07060 Mural2-8

Plainfield New Jersey Post Office 07060 Mural2-7

Plainfield New Jersey Post Office 07060 Mural2-6

Plainfield New Jersey Post Office 07060 Mural2-Signature

Plainfield New Jersey Post Office 07060 Mural2-Right

Plainfield New Jersey Post Office 07060 Mural2-Left

Plainfield New Jersey Post Office 07060 Mural2-13

Plainfield New Jersey Post Office 07060 Mural2-5

Plainfield New Jersey Post Office 07060 Vestibule

Sources

Personal visit on 5/22/21 about 1:40 PM by David W. Gates Jr.
(affiliate link) New Jersey Post Office Mural Guidebook by David W. Gates Jr.
United States Postal Service
Washington Post (Post Offices Present and Preserve Work of Hundreds of New Deal Artists (washingtonpost.com))
(affiliate link) Democratic Vistas: Post Offices and Public Art in the New Deal: [Hardcover] Marlene Park, Gerald E. Markowitz

Pompton Lakes New Jersey Post Office

July 16, 2021 By David W. Gates Jr.

ADDRESS: 47 Lakeside Ave., Pompton Lakes, New Jersey 07442
ARTIST: A. Stirling Calder
TITLE: Benjamin Franklin
MEDIUM: Stone (relief)
STATUS: The Pompton Lakes post office is still an active, operating facility, and the relief can be viewed by interested members of the public. It resides in the lobby on the wall above the postmaster’s door.
YEAR: 1937

I’m enjoying the various mediums in New Jersey. Take this stone relief for example, most of the art is murals, but every now and then you get a cool relief or carving.

I feel like I’m staring at a $100 bill when I observe this relief. I also love the historical marker placed in front of the building.

The vegetation near the cornerstone did pose a slight challenge. One of the clerks, observed me pushing back the plants to photograph it. In hindsight, I should have asked him for assistance so I could get a better picture.

David W. Gates Jr.

Pompton Lakes New Jersey Post Office 07442 Plaque

Pompton Lakes New Jersey Post Office 07442 Lobby

Pompton Lakes New Jersey Post Office 07442

Pompton Lakes New Jersey Post Office 07442 Cornerstone

Pompton Lakes New Jersey Post Office 07442 Relief

Pompton Lakes New Jersey Post Office 07442 Relief Detail

Sources

Personal visit on 5/20/21 about 9:20 AM by David W. Gates Jr.
(affiliate link) New Jersey Post Office Mural Guidebook by David W. Gates Jr.
United States Postal Service
Borough of Pompton Lakes, New Jersey (Pompton Lakes Post Office | Pompton Lakes, NJ (pomptonlakes-nj.gov))
NJ.com N.J. post offices showcase Depression-era public art – nj.com
The Historical Marker Database (Pompton Lakes Post Office Historical Marker (hmdb.org))
(affiliate link) Democratic Vistas: Post Offices and Public Art in the New Deal: [Hardcover] Marlene Park, Gerald E. Markowitz

Princeton New Jersey Former Post Office

July 11, 2021 By David W. Gates Jr.

ADDRESS: 20 Palmer Square E, Princeton, New Jersey 08542
ARTIST: Karl Free
TITLE: Columbia Under the Palm
MEDIUM: Oil and tempera (mural)
STATUS: The former Princeton post office is no longer an active, operating facility. The building is now privately owned, restricting access to the public. The mural has been reported to still be in the building. It previously resided on a wall in the main lobby.
YEAR: 1932

Prior to my recent trip, I knew the old Princeton, New Jersey post office was privately owned. All research I did also mentioned the mural still being in the building.

However, after visiting and seeing the loading dock, it seems to be undergoing renovations. If you peak inside you can also see the lobby under construction.

Which makes me wonder if the mural is indeed still in the lobby. Because of the large trees in the front and the impromptu lunch setup in front, it was next to impossible to get a good image from directly in front of the building, even if there were no people. the large trees cover up the front.

David W. Gates Jr.