Princeton Public Library (old Post Office) - Princeton, WV - WPA Projects on Waymarking.com

"The former Princeton Post Office at 920 Mercer Street in downtown Princeton, now the Anne H. Stafford Public Library, is a concrete, brick, and stone building designed in a distinctive Neoclassical variation of the Moderne Style known as Stripped Classicism. The one-story building has a three-part façade comprised of a tall three-bay center pavilion with single-bay flanking wings. The central pavilion and foundation are faced with finely cut and dressed sandstone ashlar blocks mottled with a variety of colors ranging from very light gray to brownish orange, a striking and unusual type of stone in the region. The pavilion is further distinguished by its four projecting pilasters dividing the window bays—two flat corner pilasters topped with single recessed panels, and two narrow fluted pilasters with the U.S. star motif set in slightly projecting circles and fluting in the capitals. Extending between the tops of the pilasters is a narrow frieze composed of alternating circular shapes with modernized versions of classical triglyphs. The interior features a transverse lobby with tall ceiling and an abundance of natural light provided by large Palladian windows. Beyond the lobby, in the former post office work room, is now a spacious central reading room with circulation desk and rolling panels mounted overhead, helping to diffuse the natural light from the windows and two skylights, control acoustics, and partially shield the exposed steel roof trusses. Smaller offices and utilitarian spaces are partitioned along the two sides of the central room. A honeycomb of corridors connecting rooms of varying sizes within the basement are currently used for a number of library functions, mechanical systems, and utilities. The parcel includes two secondary contributing resources: a sandstone retaining wall behind the building, and also behind the building near the loading dock, a mechanical hoist used to bring heavy mail sacks up from the basement."-NRHP Registration Form

The Living New Deal site adds:
"The gorgeous Art Deco former post office in Princeton, West Virginia was built in 1934-5 with Treasury Department funds. Construction experienced early setbacks arising from funding issues. The building’s dedication took place on October 5, 1935. In 1935 landscaping bids were sought, to wit: “The bids are for furnishing labor and materials, seeding and planting the grounds. Eight red bud trees, four Chinese elms, two white fringe trees, 12 mock orange trees and Japanese barberry hedge are to be planted.” Since August 28, 2010 the historic facility has served a second life as the Princeton Public Library. It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places."

Project type: Government building (non-park) Date built or created: 1935 Location: Princeton Post Office City: Princeton, West Viriginia Condition: Pristine condition Website for additional information: [Web Link]

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