Graham Post Office
Graham, Young County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built in 1935-1936 at a cost of $60,000, this was the seventh and first long-term post office in Graham. It was one of a number of Depression-era federally funded projects built in the city. An excellent example of a Moderne style post office of the 1930s, the structure contains an intact mural by regional painter Alexandre Hogue. The edifice was designed by U.S. Treasury architect Louis A. Simon. Its distinctive features include decorative aluminum grillwork, sculptural metal lights and Zig-Zag Art Moderne stone friezes. The U.S. Postal operations were relocated to another site in 1992. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1999
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built in 1935–36 at the height of the Great Depression, Graham's post office was one of many federally funded projects that put Americans to work and left behind civic landmarks. Designed by U.S. Treasury architect Louis A. Simon in a sleek Moderne style, it boasts decorative aluminum grillwork, Zig-Zag Art Moderne friezes, and an interior mural by acclaimed regional painter Alexandre Hogue. Postal operations moved on in 1992, but the building's artistry endures.
Why it matters
It is a tangible legacy of New Deal public works and the federal art programs that placed fine murals in ordinary American towns.
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Related people
- · Alexandre Hogue
- · Louis A. Simon
Related events
- · New Deal / Great Depression public works
Themes & tags
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