75482 - (Former) Sulphur Springs, Texas
Posted by: WalksfarTX
N 33° 08.300 W 095° 36.190
15S E 257169 N 3669640
Neo-Classical Revival style building with three-arched colonnade across front on Doric columns with pedimented entry, fanlights in facade behind arches, low hipped roof, concrete hood molds and sills, bracketed and dentiled cornice.
Waymark Code: WM11E1C
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 10/05/2019
Views: 1
Historic Plaque:
U.S. Post OfficeThe first post office was established in Sulphur Springs on May 17, 1954. The townspeople chose the name of Bright Star for their post office since Sulphur Springs already existed in the state. In 1871, the post office was renamed Sulphur Springs to agree with the name of the town. The post office was housed in various buildings in the downtown area without a permanent location.
In 1906, Senator John M. Sheppard introduced an appropriations bill for construction of a post building in Sulphur Springs. This started an almost eight-year process, which ended in a completed building. A treasury department representative located a site for the building in 1908. The lot was purchased in 1909 from the First Christian Church nd was located on the northwest corner of Connally and North Davis.
Two years later, in 1911, J.F. McKnight was awarded the contract to build the $50,000 post office building. It was designed by the renowned supervising architect of the U.S. Treasury, James Knox Taylor. His name appears on the original cornerstone.
After many delays of waiting on materials, and with some design changes, the building was completed in July, 1914. The beautiful building would serve its community as a post office until 1965, when the post office was relocated to Church Street. This historic building was purchased by the City of Sulphur Springs and converted to our public library. It would serve in this capacity until February 22, 2000, when our new library was opened for business. In 2011, work began on a complete restoration of the "Old Post Office". One hundred years after its original completion, restoration work was completed, and this stately building will now serve as City Hall. The restored building will serve this community for years to come.
John A. Sellers
Mayor and Historian, 2014