Bronx Central Annex-U.S. Post Office | |
Location | 558 Grand Concourse Bronx, New York 10451 |
---|---|
Coordinates | 40°49′8″N73°55′37″W / 40.81889°N 73.92694°W |
Area | 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) |
Built | 1935 |
Architect | Ellett, Thomas Harlan; Shahn, Ben |
NRHP reference No. | 80002584 [1] |
NYCL No. | 0837, 2552 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | May 6, 1980 |
Designated NYCL | November 25, 1975 (exterior) December 17, 2013 (interior) |
The Bronx Central Annex of the United States Postal Service is a historic post office building located at 558 Grand Concourse in the Concourse neighborhood of the Bronx in New York City. The four-story structure was built from 1935 to 1937. The building was sold in 2014 and is being transformed into a mixed-use structure.
The interior includes a notable series of New Deal-era murals in fresco created in 1939 by Ben Shahn and Bernarda Bryson Shahn for the Treasury Department Art Project's Section of Fine Arts. The building's facade and interior are New York City designated landmarks, and the structure is on the National Register of Historic Places. [1]
Located at 558 Grand Concourse, Bronx General Post Office was built from 1935 to 1937, and designed by consulting architect Thomas Harlan Ellett for the Office of the Supervising Architect. Constructed of smooth gray brick and is surrounded by a granite terrace, the building features graceful window openings set within marble arches.
On the terrace are two sculptures dating to 1936: The Letter by Henry Kreis and Noah by Charles Rudy. [2]
The interior features Resources of America, a set of 13 mural panels in fresco [3] [4] inspired by the words of Walt Whitman. [5] [6] They were executed by Ben Shahn and his wife Bernarda Bryson Shahn and completed in August 1939. [7] The government hired Shahn through an anonymous competition after he became renown for his artwork. [8] The murals celebrate American industry and the dignity of labor.
In January 2013 the U.S. Postal Service announced that it was considering selling the 175,000-square-foot (16,300 m2) Bronx General Post Office as part of its national reevaluation of facilities. Most of the operations had been relocated from the building. [9] The sale of some 200 buildings was being considered in light of declining mail volume and the growth of online services. [10] The property was one of those most architecturally distinguished, and its interior was granted landmark status December 17, 2013, [11] to preserve Shahn's mural series, Resources of America. [12] Despite protests from preservationists and the community, plans for the sale went forward. [13]
The building was purchased by Manhattan marketplace developer YoungWoo & Associates in September 2014 for $19 million. [14] In February 2015 the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the redevelopment of the property with retail space and postal services on the ground and main floors, office space on the upper two floors, and a restaurant on the roof. The plan included restoration of the exterior, the 13 murals, and the lobby which had been remodeled over the years. [15] In 2019, a rooftop restaurant called Zona de Cuba opened on the property. [16] In May 2024, the building was placed for sale again for about $70 million. [17] [18]
The Bronx High School of Science is a public specialized high school in The Bronx in New York City. It is operated by the New York City Department of Education. Admission to Bronx Science involves passing the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test.
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Bernarda Bryson Shahn was an American painter and lithographer. She also wrote and illustrated children's books including The Zoo of Zeus and Gilgamesh. The artist Ben Shahn was her "life companion" and they married in 1969, shortly before his death.
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The Grand Concourse is a 5.2-mile-long (8.4 km) thoroughfare in the borough of the Bronx in New York City. Grand Concourse runs through several neighborhoods, including Bedford Park, Concourse, Highbridge, Fordham, Mott Haven, Norwood and Tremont. For most of its length, the Concourse is 180 feet (55 m) wide, though portions of the Concourse are narrower.
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The Treasury Section of Painting and Sculpture was a New Deal art project established on October 16, 1934, and administered by the Procurement Division of the United States Department of the Treasury.
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United States post office murals are notable examples of New Deal art produced during the years 1934–1943.
Neal A. Melick was an engineer who worked for the United States federal government. Melick was the supervising engineer for many federal construction projects. He is credited with a number of buildings now listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, often in conjunction with Louis A. Simon serving as supervising architect.
The Bronx Municipal Building, later known as Bronx Borough Hall and eventually as Old Bronx Borough Hall (1897–1969), was the original administrative headquarters of the Bronx Borough President and other local civic leaders. It was located in the East Tremont neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City.
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Art Deco architecture flourished in New York City during the 1920s and 1930s. The style broke with many traditional architectural conventions and was characterized by verticality, ornamentation, and building materials such as plastics, metals, and terra cotta. Art Deco is found in government edifices, commercial projects, and residential buildings in all five boroughs. The architecture of the period was influenced by worldwide decorative arts trends, the rise of mechanization, and New York City's 1916 Zoning Resolution, which favored the setback feature in many buildings.
Media related to United States Post Office (Bronx Central Annex) at Wikimedia Commons