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

Dillon Montana Post Office

September 8, 2012 By David W. Gates Jr.

ADDRESS: 117 S. Idaho St., Dillon, Montana, 59725
TITLE: News From the States
ARTIST: Elizabeth Lochrie
MEDIUM: Mural
STATUS: The mural resides in the lobby above the postmaster’s door.
YEAR: 1938

I can’t begin to tell you how long I wanted to get this un-obstructed photo of the front of this building. It seemed every time one car left another one would pull up. Since there is street parking right in front of the building this made it a challenge for me. But my patients paid off and I’m able to bring you this nice street photo of the Dillon, MT Post Office.

The mural is awesome, what else can I say. I was really impressed with this one and really enjoyed the time I spent photographing it. This building also shares space with an attorney, which I though was interesting.

Thanks,

David W. Gates Jr.

Dillon Montana Post Office 59725 Cornerstone

Dillon Montana Post Office: National Register of Historic Places Plaque

Dillon Montana Post Office 59725 "News from the states" Post Office Mural

Dillon Montana Post Office Mural Signature "Elizabeth Lochrie"

Dillon Montana Post Office Mural Right 59725

Dillon Montana Post Office Mural Left 59725

Dillon Montana Post Office Mural Center 59725

Sources

Personal visit on 6/22/2012 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

Ladysmith Wisconsin Post Office

August 31, 2012 By David W. Gates Jr.

ADDRESS: 212 Miner Ave. W. Ladysmith, Wisconsin 54848
ARTIST: Elsa Jemne
TITLE: Development of The Land
MEDIUM: Fresco (mural)
STATUS: The mural is no longer viewable, having either been destroyed or painted over. None of my research has confirmed the fate of this artwork. There is an original black and white photograph on file at the National Archives, College Park Maryland for viewing.
YEAR: 1938

Last week I was up in Wisconsin volunteering on the Ice Age Trail. When I finished on Sunday I though I’d drive up to Ladysmith. I was excited when I first saw the building. It is a classic WPA era building with the signature corner-stone on the lower left of the building.

When I initially looked into this one I noticed it was listed as having a mural. When I visited it was a Sunday and the building was closed. I tried to peer through the windows but could not see the mural. So while I was sitting outside, I checked my phone and found out this one had been painted over. “Painted Over” I said out loud to myself. How could artwork like this be painted over?

For a look at what the mural once looked like please visit the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

I know absolutely nothing about the circumstances surrounding the history of this building or the mural that once graced the lobby. So Ladysmith is another one of those post office I’ll need to re-visit and research more. I have a burning desire to find out what the mural looked like and maybe just maybe gain enough interest to maybe find out if its possible to recover it. If the painting can’t be recovered, I wonder if it would be possible to have another local artist re-create the mural as a sort of reminder what was once there. Food for thought as I sit here and think about it.

Does anyone else know about the Ladysmith Wisconsin Post Office? Does anyone happen to have any old photographs of this building or the mural that once existed here? I’d love to hear from you?

Thanks for stopping by,

David W. Gates Jr.

Ladysmith Wisconsin Post Office 54848 Cornerstone

Sources

Personal visit on 7/26/2012 by David W. Gates Jr.
Wisconsin Post Office Murals by David W. Gates Jr.
Wisconsin Post Office Mural Guidebook 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
Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) (https://americanart.si.edu)

Crawfordsville Indiana Post Office

August 4, 2012 By David W. Gates Jr.

ADDRESS: 300 E. Main St., Crawfordsville, Indiana 47933
TITLE: Indiana Agriculture
ARTIST: Frank Long
MEDIUM: Mural
STATUS: The Crawfordsville 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 a wall above the postmaster’s door.
YEAR: 1942

Welcome to another featured post office of the day. The Crawfordsville, IN was another stop during a recent trip to Indiana. This was awesome stop. Great mural and wonderful old building.

Updated images from a trip in 2021. wow! time flies and they’ve removed the name of the city from above the front entrance.

Thanks,

David W. Gates Jr.