Troy Post Office features rare Waldo Peirce murals

The U.S. Post Office in Troy, New York, is located at 400 Broadway at the corners of Fourth and William Streets. Built during the Great Depression as part of a statewide public works initiative to provide jobs, the building was designed by supervising architect Louis Simon in a stripped-down Classical Revival style. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 and remains a contributing property to the Central Troy Historic District.

The two-story steel frame building sits on a granite foundation and features main facades of limestone and buff-colored brick. The Broadway entrance is reached by granite steps and is flanked by original wrought iron lamps. Inside, the lobbies feature a terrazzo floor, dark green marble base, and white marble dado walls. While some furniture is newer, the building retains its original teller windows, iron grillework, and some original post office boxes.

In 1938, painter Waldo Peirce added two murals to the lobby with regional themes. One depicts Rip Van Winkle, while the other is titled Legends of the Hudson. Troy is one of only three post offices in the United States to feature Peirce's artwork. These murals remain well-preserved, as there have been few significant changes to the interior since they were completed two years after the building opened.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons