ADDRESS: 126 North, Church Street, Oak Harbor, Ohio 43449
ARTIST: Charles Zuelch
TITLE: Early Oak Harbor
MEDIUM: Oil on canvas (mural)
STATUS: The Oak Harbor post office is still an active, operating facility, and the mural can be viewed by interested members of the public. It resides in the lobby on the wall above the postmaster’s door.
YEAR: 1940
Oak Harbor had more to offer than just a post office and mural. There is neat little park right across the street from the post office complete with an early settlers home and founders plaque. I will say I’m slightly disappointed in the maintenance of the building. When you first look at it you can see the paint peeling from the building above the front doors. It also appears some of the wood is rotting. The brick and stone also appear dirty and stained. I wonder what it would take for a good old-fashioned face-lift? It’s still a mystery why some post offices are well maintained and others are not. Where does the financing come from? Who is responsible for the maintenance of the buildings? All very good questions I’m interested in learning the answers too.
The mural inside the post office is dark, that was my first impression of the work. After closer observation I did appreciate the detail that went into the painting. What are your impressions of this pice of artwork? What do you see when you view it? What sticks out?
Thanks,
David W. Gates Jr.
Sources
- Personal visit on 10/23/2012 by David W. Gates Jr.
- United States Postal Service
- (affiliate link) Democratic Vistas: Post Offices and Public Art in the New Deal
: [Hardcover] Marlene Park, Gerald E. Markowitz