United States Post Office Garage, 135 A Street (northeast corner A & West First Streets), South Boston, Suffolk County, MA

Significance: Built in 1940-41 by the federal Public Buildings Administration, the United States Post Office Garage survives as a rare Boston-area of example of the International Style of architecture. This functionally designed structure well represents the tenants of this style of architecture with its stark concrete walls and minimal ornamentation, most notably the streamlined curves at corners and entrances. This huge concrete building stands in stark contrast to the 19th century brick warehouse and factory buildings of the adjacent Fort Point Channel historic district to the north. The building was designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood, a consulting architect for the Public Buildings Administration in the 1930s who built numerous federal buildings, some quite well known. The building was outfitted with some novel and significant features including a huge ramp able to carry large trucks to the second floor and a traveling crane and chain fall trolley system to transport vehicle components through the building.

Survey number: HABS MA-1298

Building/structure dates: 1940-1941 Initial Construction

Building/structure dates: 1960-1966 Subsequent Work

Building/structure dates: 1968-1971 Subsequent Work

Building/structure dates: 1973 Subsequent Work

Building/structure dates: 1975 Subsequent Work

Building/structure dates: 1982 Subsequent Work

Building/structure dates: 1984-1985 Subsequent Work

Building/structure dates: 1989 Subsequent Work

Building/structure dates: 1992-1993 Subsequent Work

Building/structure dates: 1992-1993 Subsequent Work

automobile service stations garages postal service automobile repair building deterioration massachusetts post garage northeast northeast corner west first streets boston south boston suffolk suffolk county united states post office albre marble and tile company bethlehem steel works t c brooks builders iron works john m carmody city building wrecking company e vannoordsen company edward cahill manufacturing gregory galer gannett fleming engineers and planners grande and volpe construction company historic american buildings survey john e lingo and son m foster electric company martin fireproofing company neal a melick lauren meyer w g noll peterson and neville public buildings administration w e reynolds security fire door company louis a simon martin stupich n e thompson us postal service gilbert stanley underwood warsaw elevator company photo states post office garage ultra high resolution high resolution historic american landscapes survey historic american engineering record architecture ornament manufacturing plants doors architectural elements library of congress

1933 - 1940

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/

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