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Post offices with murals, includes new deal and non-new deal art.

Post offices with murals, includes new deal and non-new deal art.

Naperville Illinois New & Former Post Office

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Naperville IL Former Post Office 60540
Downtown Naperville Illinois Post Office 60540

ADDRESS: 5 South Washington Street, Naperville, Illinois, 60540
ARTIST: Rainey Bennett
TITLE: George Martin’s Home Overlooking Old Naper Mill
MEDIUM: Oil on canvas (mural)
STATUS: The former Naperville post office is now Naperville Bank & Trust. However, the mural can be viewed by interested members of the public during business hours. It resides in the lobby behind the teller’s counter.
YEAR: 1941

I have to tell you this was a hard one to write about. Let me explain. It’s the former post office. No, it’s the newer post office. Yes you are correct, it’s both. It really is an odd combination of both. See apparently the Naperville Bank & Trust company purchase and renovated the former post office building.

However, it appears the post office also added onto the old building in a sense keeping the same location. There is actually a door inside the new post office that leads directly into the bank. So you can imagine the difficulty in attempting to categorize or list this one. It’s also my first post that is essentially a combination a of new and former post office. I guess you could call it a bonus day. Two for the price of one at Post Office Freak! Welcome to the Former Naperville post office building, complete with mural and artifacts, and the new addition right in heart of downtown Naperville.

Since the old building is now privately owned I was polite and asked permission before photographing inside the building. It was difficult to get the entire piece. As you can see from the photos below there are two very large lights in front of the mural, making it very difficult to get the entire piece in one shot. I tried my best and realized the close up detail photos turned out the best.

The Naperville historical society has done a lot to preserve the artifacts from this building and the bank has done a nice job in displaying the pieces through-out the lobby. If you are a real fan of these classic post office buildings you will definitely want to add this one to your list to visit.

Thanks for stopping by

David W. Gates Jr.

Downtown Naperville Illinois Post Office 60540
Naperville Illinois Former Post Office 60540 Mural Full
Naperville Illinois Former Post Office 60540
Naperville Illinois Former Post Office Mural Detail
Naperville Illinois Former Post Office Cornerstone
Naperville Illinois Former Post Office 60540
Naperville Illinois Former Post Office 60540
Naperville Illinois Former Post Office 60540
Naperville Illinois Former Post Office Mural Detail
Naperville Illinois Former Post Office Mural

“Used with the permission of the Naperville Bank and Trust.”

Happy to have visited this one again. April 2023.

Naperville IL Former Post Office 60540
Naperville IL Former Post Office 60540
Naperville IL Former Post Office 60540

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Crossville Tennessee Post Office

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Crossville TN Post Office 38555
Crossville TN Post Office 38555

ADDRESS: 240 Old Jamestown Hwy. Crossville, Tennessee 38555
ARTIST: Marion Greenwood
TITLE: The Partnership of Man and Nature
ARTIST: Marion Greenwood
MEDIUM: Oil on canvas (mural)
STATUS: The mural resides in the lobby of the building and is accessible to members of the public interested in viewing it.
YEAR: 1940

Nice combination of old and new in Crossville, Not only an interesting mural but also a dedication plaque. Who would have thought? I’m happy to see that the mural was taken out of the old post office and moved to the existing post office building. The newer post office is a classic 80’s building, I wonder when the mural was moved? I’m extremely happy to see that it has been preserved and is on public display.

This begs me to ask all sorts of questions. How does all this happen? Recent sales of post offices seem to include the murals. Some how in some cases the mural goes with the sale of the property. However, in some cases such as this the mural is moved and preserved. So I ask again how and why doesn’t this happen to ALL post office sales? Why isn’t the art protected in other states and other building transactions? Please let know, because during my tour of Tennessee I’ve seen other post offices sold along with the existing artwork still in the building. These treasures are no longer available to the public.  This disturbs me more than I though it would.

What struck me the most about this mural is the look on the people’s faces. They all appear worn out and exhausted from life. Or maybe just tired from working, it’s hard to tell, but even the baby’s faces appears worn out and tired. Interesting composition, I wonder what the artists was trying to capture in this piece. This one by the way used to hang in the original or former post office. I’ll be showcasing this one tomorrow, so stay tuned if you are interested in a bit of Crossville history.

What do you think about the mural? Are you from Crossville? Have you ever noticed the mural when you visited the post office? What do you think of the mural? Do you like it? Do you wonder who the characters are? or where they are from? I do.

Thanks,

David W. Gates Jr.

Crossville Tennessee Post Office 38555
Crossville Tennessee Post Office 38555
Crossville Tennessee Post Office 38555 Dedication Plaque
Crossville Tennessee Post Office Mural Artist Signature
Crossville Tennessee Post Office Mural Center
Crossville Tennessee Post Office Mural Detail
Crossville Tennessee Post Office Mural Detail
Crossville Tennessee Post Office Mural Detail
Crossville Tennessee Post Office Mural Detail
Crossville Tennessee Post Office Mural Detail
Crossville Tennessee Post Office Mural Detail
Crossville Tennessee Post Office Mural Full
Crossville Tennessee Post Office Mural Left Side
Crossville Tennessee Post Office Mural Right Side

“Used with the permission of the United States Postal Service®. All rights reserved.”

Sources

Berwyn Illinois Post Office

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Berwyn IL Post Office 60402
Berwyn IL Post Office 60402

ADDRESS: 6625 Cermak Road, Berwyn, Illinois 60402
ARTIST: Richard Haines
TITLE: The Picnic
MEDIUM: Oil on canvas (mural)
STATUS: The Berwyn 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: 1942

Check out the snow! I waited to post this one in June to remind every one of the long cold winters in Chicago-Land. I had to visit this one twice in January of 2013. The first time I visited it was on a Sunday, apparently they lock up the building. So I  returned to Berwyn again the following Saturday during normal business hours so I could photograph the very large wonderful mural inside.

Thanks,

David W. Gates Jr.

Berwyn Illinois Post Office 60402
Berwyn Illinois Post Office Mural Left Side
Berwyn Illinois Post Office Mural Full
Berwyn Illinois Post Office 60402 Cornerstone
Berwyn Illinois Post Office 60402
Berwyn Illinois Post Office 60402
Berwyn Illinois Post Office Mural Right Side
Berwyn Illinois Post Office Mural Center
Berwyn Illinois Post Office Artists Signature
Berwyn Illinois Post Office 60402
Berwyn Illinois Post Office 60402

Updated 11/28/2020

This was my second stop on November 28 to get better images of the Berwyn, Illinois post office. The sun sets behind the building making it difficult to get a good image. Note to self, If you can get there in the morning, that would be a better time to photograph the front of the building with more natural light.

 

“Used with the permission of the United States Postal Service®. All rights reserved.”

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