125 West Argonne Drive - Downtown Kirkwood Historic District - Kirkwood, MO - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

County of building: St. Louis County
Location of building: W. Argonne Dr., middle of block, north side, Kirkwood
Built: 1932
Style: Classic Revival
Original Occupant: US Post Office
Current Occupant: Great Harvest Bread Company

"125 W. Argonne. Old Post Office. 1932. Architect, unknown. Contractor, unknown. Contributing.
This building is difficult to date because of all the address changes that occurred in this block, but the assessor’s estimate of 1920 seems unlikely given the design of the façade and the city directory information and none of the possible address numbers has a listing prior to 1922. The available maps show a wood framed “flat” on the 1903 fire insurance map and what appears to be the same shaped building on the 1909 plat map, both definitely not the current building on the property. Although the directories checked starting in 1922 listed this address as the Firehouse and in 1938 as both the Fire House and Post Office, evaluation of the entire block seems to indicate that the address numbering shifted in 1938 and it was clearly evident that the Firehouse was the adjacent building (123) and the dual listing is common on other properties—other research by June Dahl indicates this building was constructed in 1932 with private funds to serve as the post office was in this building (125). By 1943, St. Louis Optical operated in this building, replaced by 1949 with Kirkwood Messenger, which at some point connected to the old fire station building, even today continuing to utilize the entire complex as Messenger Printing." ~ NRHP Nomination Form

"Unlike most of the modest one story designs, the earlier Post Office at 125 W. Argonne, built around 1932, had a pediment and pilasters applied to the façade to create a temple-like, classical revival façade." ~ NRHP Nomination Form, Pg 51

"125 W. Argonne. Old Post Office. 1932. Architect, unknown. Contractor, unknown. Contributing.
The 125 W. Argonne Commercial Building is utilizes Classical Revival detailing on what would otherwise be a simple one story red brick building. Fluted pilasters divide the façade into three bays with a wood entablature spanning below brick panels of the parapet which also have similar pilasters and a wood pediment. The entry and the two plate glass windows have cornice-like lintels supported by decorative brackets." ~ NRHP Nomination Form

"The prominent features of this building are its classical details. The entrance is on the southwest corner of the facade. It contains a new single-leaf wood door flanked by wood panels. Stationary transoms with three sections of eight radiating lights and bracketed wood shelves are in place over the entry and storefront windows. Brick piers containing fluted wooden pilasters divide the bays on the facade. A wood entablature spans the facade above the entry and storefront windows. Above this, the spaces between the pilasters contain recessed brick panels. A wood pediment crowns the center of the facade. This building has been joined (in the gangway) with 123 W. Argonne/Main so that the two buildings together are used by Messenger Printing. Two masonry additions have been made to the rear of the building - 1966 and 1969." ~ Kirkwood Historic Survey  Phase II, Page 193