Post Office, Santa Monica Main Branch 1248 5th Street Santa Monica, California City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report

Evaluation Report Building Permit History City Directory Research Photographs Tax Assessor Map Sanborn Map

Prepared for: City of Santa Monica Planning Division

Prepared by: Ostashay & Associates Consulting Long Beach, California

December 2012 United States Post Office, Santa Monica Main Branch

1248 5th Street City of Santa Monica APN: 4291‐004‐900 City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The subject property (Santa Monica Post Office) is situated at the northwest corner of 5th Street and Avenue, and encompasses lots H, I, J, K and L of Block 120 of the Town of Santa Monica tract. Together, the five tied lots measure approximately 250 feet by 150 feet (the longer frontage faces 5th Street). The one‐story public building is located in the Central Business District of the City, and is two blocks east of the 3rd Street Promenade commercial thoroughfare and one block south of Wilshire Boulevard. The property is currently owned and operated by the United States Federal government, United States Postal Service (USPS).

The subject property has been previously identified and evaluated under the City’s on‐going historic resources survey process. It was first assessed as part of the Santa Monica Historic Resources Inventory Phase Three Survey process in 1994.1 At that time the property was recognized for its distinctive architectural merit and was, therefore, assigned a National Register Status Code (now referred to as the California Historical Resource Status Codes) of 3S, which identified the property as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (National Register). The City’s Historic Resources Inventory Update of the Central Business District and Third Street Promenade (fieldwork 1996, report 1998) reconfirmed the property’s National Register eligibility and also identified it as a contributor to the Central Business District historic district. Most recently, the City’s Citywide Historic Resources Survey Update (December 2007) once again reconfirmed the property’s National Register eligibility and contributor status to the Central Business District.

PROPERTY DESCRIPTION AND CONSTRUCTION HISTORY

Description. Erected in 1936, the one‐story post office building with basement and mezzanine is located at the northwest corner of 5th Street and Arizona Avenue, within the Central Business District. The massing and detailing of the Santa Monica Post Office are indicative of the PWA (Public Works Administration) Moderne style. The east‐facing post office is a poured‐in‐place concrete building with a symmetrical eight façade with monumental, elongated inspired pilasters flanking the two entry portals and Art Deco decorative motifs and incised period lettering heralding the building’s form and function as a post office incorporated above and adjacent to these entry doors.

1 Phase Three: Santa Monica Historic Resources Survey, May 1994. Santa Monica Post Office, 1248 5th Street City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 1 Raised slightly above grade, the building’s two entry points are approached via granite steps and concrete walkways from the nearby sidewalks. Other features of the building include a flat roof with parapet and tri‐banded cornice lines; recessed, vertically oriented multi‐pane wood‐ frame windows; small dedication plaque on the far south bay of the east elevation wall under the window; a pronounced skirtline demarcated by a simple belt course; and a large covered loading dock area that spans the entire width of the rear of the structure off the alley (west elevation). The mezzanine level with its ribbon of fenestration is evident from this backside elevation.

Placed at the southeast corner of the lot is a relatively new standalone monumental sign noting the property as the United States Post Office and listing its address. Landscaping includes small shrubs around the base of the building, raised non‐original concrete planter beds along 5th Street, a flag pole, and a raised side yard with tall palm tree to the immediate south of the building.

The PWA Moderne stylistic approach of the exterior is also translated into the small interior public space of the building (the lobby). The rich marble‐work on the walls and the varied color terrazzo flooring, as well as the highly stylized geometric designs executed in wood on the walls and ceiling are indicative of the PWA Moderne idiom. The long lobby is divided into two distinct spaces by a non‐original glass wall with glazed double doors. The north half of the interior space is dedicated to rows and columns of post office rental boxes set within walls of variegated marble while the southern half contains the retail counter area and access to the basement. Both spaces also feature Art Deco inspired wood tables and glass light fixtures, while the southern lobby space includes a metal railing system with “feathered” balusters (staircase leads down to the basement) all original to the date of building’s construction.

Building Permit History. Only the initial building permit to erect the building is on file with the City of Santa Monica (this is not unusual for federally owned properties). Dated September 20, 1937, the permit application (building permit number 475) lists the owner as the U.S. Government. Other information on the permit application includes the type of construction (Type 1); the valuation of the proposed building of $172,400 (which ultimately cost more than that indicated on the permit); exterior wall material as concrete; and the roofing material as composition.

Upon visual inspection, the building has undergone only minor changes. Such evident changes include the replacement of the double wood doors with aluminum frame glazed double doors, the replacement of the original post office rental boxes in the lobby, the tinting of the windows, and the reorganization and design of the front landscaped areas along Arizona Avenue.

Construction History. Constructed of poured‐in‐place concrete with steel frame reinforcement, the structure is a product of the federal government’s Public Works Administration (PWA) program. In respect to the Moderne design of the post office, the plans were prepared under the auspices of supervising architect Louis A. Simon with Neal A. Melick acting as the supervising engineer and based designer Robert Dennis Murray serving as the local

Santa Monica Post Office, 1248 5th Street City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 2 architect. A number of local contractors were also involved with the construction of the project.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Santa Monica. In 1875, the original townsite of Santa Monica was surveyed, including all the land extending from Colorado Street on the south to Montana on the north, and from 26th Street on the east to the Pacific Ocean on the west. Between 1893 and the 1920s, the community operated as a tourist attraction, visited by mostly wealthy patrons. Those areas just outside of the incorporated city limits were semi‐rural in setting and were populated with scattered residences. After the advent of the automobile in the 1920s, Santa Monica experienced a significant building boom, with homes being constructed in the tracts north of Montana and east of Seventh Street for year‐round residents. Commercial buildings, primarily one‐ or two‐story in height, initially concentrated along 2nd and 3rd Streets between Colorado Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard also began to expand eastward at this time.

Central Business District. The Santa Monica Post Office is located on the west side of 5th Street at the northwest corner of Arizona Avenue within the boundaries of the City’s Central Business District. This commercial area is roughly bounded by Wilshire Boulevard to the north, 2nd Street to the west, Colorado Avenue/Santa Monica Freeway to the south, and 4th Street (south of Santa Monica Boulevard) and 7th Street (north of Santa Monica Boulevard) to the east. Most buildings are commercial in form and function, with a small scattering of residential properties and churches. The Central Business District developed early in the history of Santa Monica as the location of commercial businesses catering to both local residents and the City’s many visitors. Second Street, the oldest commercial street in Santa Monica, was supplanted by 3rd Street as the City’s principal commercial street in the early twentieth century. A three‐block stretch of 3rd Street was eventually closed to vehicular traffic and became a pedestrian shopping mall in 1965. Fourth and Fifth streets between Wilshire Boulevard and Colorado Avenue evolved from a primarily residential neighborhood at the turn‐of‐the‐century to a predominantly commercial area by the early 1920s. The impetus for this change occurred as a result of the continuing resident and tourist population growth of the City overall and their demand for consumer goods.

Buildings of each period of development, from 1875 through to the present day, stand in this highly commercial area, their styling and historic associations providing a physical document of the commercial history of the city.2 The most prevalent styles in the area are those associated with the 1920s and 1930s, which included Spanish Colonial Revival, Art Deco, , and classically influenced vernacular structures. The PWA Moderne designed post office building also lends an additional and unique variation to the typical architectural styles found in the Central Business District. Improvements located within this commercial area range from one to twelve stories in height and are clad in a variety of materials, including stucco, brick, terracotta, and concrete.

2 Santa Monica Historic Resources Inventory, 1985‐1986: Final Report, p.28. Santa Monica Post Office, 1248 5th Street City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 3 United States Postal Service. The United States Postal Service (USPS) has its roots to 1775 during the Second Continental Congress where Benjamin Franklin was appointed the first postmaster general. The cabinet‐level Post Office Department was created in 1792 from Franklin’s operation and transformed into its current form in 1971 under the Postal Reorganization Act.

For decades, the postal system served as the principal, and for a long time the only, means of long distance communication. Efforts to increase the speed and efficiency of mail delivery and competition for government contracts to carry mail encouraged the growth of roads, railroads, shipping lines, and eventually airlines (air mail).

The buildings constructed for use as post offices reflected the various governmental and architectural philosophies of the times. From the establishment of the Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury in the 1850s, architectural styles for post offices and other Federal public buildings followed the favorite style of the incumbent Supervising Architect. At the turn of the twentieth century, the Federal government promoted the concept that government buildings should be monumental and beautiful, and should represent the ideals of democracy and high standards of architectural sophistication.

After 1913, Federal construction policy changed in response to concerns over the cost of public building projects and whether all buildings authorized by Congress were truly needed. The 1913 Public Building Act, which authorized the construction of a large number of public buildings, also prohibited the construction of new post office buildings in communities whose postal receipts totaled less than $10,000. In the interest of economy and efficiency, the Department of the Treasury instituted a classification system for the design and construction of post office buildings. For large cities, first class post offices would still be monumental and elaborate, but for small towns, standardized plans would be utilized.

The emphasis on economy and efficiency continued during the Depression, which the government rapidly expanded its public works program as a means of stimulating economic recovery and providing work for the unemployed. Nearly a quarter of the post offices built during this period were authorized by the Public Works Administration (PWA), established in 1933 to oversee the planning and construction of Federal and non‐Federal public works projects associated with the New Deal program. Approximately, 406 post offices were built under the program, including the Santa Monica Post Office at 1248 5th Street in 1938.

Santa Monica Post Office. The site for the new post office was purchased in 1934 for approximately $44,000. However, due to the economic influence of the and funding difficulties in Washington, D.C. it took careful negotiations with Federal legislators to get the support and ultimately the necessary monies allocated to plan, design, and build the local post office. Working collaboratively over a number of years, the Santa Monica‐Ocean Park Chamber of Commerce, city officials, the local Postmaster, and Congressional representatives Joe Crail and John Francis Dockweiler worked with Congress and the Treasury Department to obtain the needed approvals and funding for the project.

Santa Monica Post Office, 1248 5th Street City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 4 Ground breaking took place in late 1937, with a formal dedication ceremony held on July 23, 1938. Appropriate civic festivities accompanied the ceremony with city officials, the Postmaster of Santa Monica, and others in attendance. In closing, Representative Dockweiler officiated at the cornerstone sealing ceremony. The building was heralded in the local press as a major symbol of Santa Monica’s civic achievement.

The operational history of the Santa Monica post office over the past seventy‐five years, not surprisingly, has been rather undistinguished, essentially a chronicle of the daily activities of the occupant. Minimal changes have occurred to the exterior and interior of the building. The main floor still contains the long lobby space with its PWA Moderne inspired decorative motifs and furniture, rows of post office rental boxes, the retail counter space, and access to the basement area.

PWA Moderne Style. The subject property located at 1548 5th Street is an excellent example of a post office building designed in the PWA Moderne style. The Santa Monica Post Office is one of only two federally funded PWA building projects funded under the New Deal program in the city. City Hall is the other PWA project, which followed just after completion of the subject property.

Pre‐World War II in the United States has been analyzed and categorized into a number of styles, the names of which sometimes allude to important exhibits in the modern movement. The Art Deco style derives its name from the decorative motifs of the 1925 Paris exhibition, and the International Style is based upon the design characteristics in the Museum of Modern Art exhibition of the same name. Streamline Moderne, also referred to Art Moderne, was influenced by the streamlined designs of industrial products of the 1930s and early 1940s. PWA Moderne is an architectural style that combined elements of Art Deco, Streamline Moderne, and Beaux Arts . The use of this stripped‐down classicism resulted in the term PWA Moderne. The style was applied in the design of many public buildings, civic centers, institutions, educational facilities, and other buildings constructed between 1933 and 1944 by the Public Works Administration (PWA), a government agency created during the Great Depression.

PWA Moderne designed buildings reflect a greater use of conservative and classical elements and have a distinct monumental feel to them. These formal, symmetrical structures also contain Art Deco and Streamline Moderne details that give them an updated, modern appearance. Characteristics of the style include a symmetrical façade; smooth wall surfaces; flat roofs; plain, narrow cornices; vertical molded ornamentation; Art Deco decorative motifs; framed entrances; piers and/or pilasters without capitals or sans excessive ornamentation; and fenestration arranged as vertical recessed panels.

Character‐defining elements of the PWA Moderne style that are represented in the subject property include the structure’s broad horizontality and symmetry; its flat roof with plain parapet and tri‐banded cornice line; the simple poured‐in‐place concrete exterior wall surface; distinctly framed entrances; and granite steps. In particular, the building’s most predominant PWA Moderne architectural features are its Art Deco inspired decorative motifs on the exterior Santa Monica Post Office, 1248 5th Street City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 5 and interior and its emphasis on verticality by the use of elongated pilasters, fenestration, and monumental entry portals. Despite the replacement of the original wood and glazed panel double entry doors on the front of the building with glazed aluminum frames, the subject property remains a rare representative example of the PWA Moderne architectural style within the City of Santa Monica.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Person(s) of historical importance

Louis A. Simon. Louise A. Simon was a stylistic traditionalist who became Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department in 1935, following the reorganization of the office a year earlier. The origins of the Office of the Supervising Architect can be traced to a decision in 1853 to create a construction branch in the Treasury Department. The Supervising Architect’s office remained attached to the Treasury Department until 1939, when it was transferred to the Federal Works Agency. With the reorganization five divisions were created consisting of a Supervising Architect, a Supervising Engineer, a Chairman of the Board of Award, and a Chief of the Legal Section.3 Simon, a licensed architect from Baltimore, Maryland began working for the Supervising Architect’s office in 1896. From 1915 to 1934, during the tenure of Acting Supervising Architect James A. Wetmore, a lawyer and political appointee, Simon was responsible for the direction of much of the design work. When he was appointed the position a year later Simon allowed for a greater stylistic variety in the design of public buildings. More consideration was given to local architectural traditions though most federal projects still retained the Beaux Arts inspired symmetry utilized in past years by the department. Louise A. Simon is most notably recognized for his post office buildings, most of which reflect a restrained or stylized classicism in their design. Simon retired from the position of Acting Architect in 1941. Based on current research, a strong argument cannot be made that Louis A. Simon played a critical role in the design and construction of the Santa Monica Post Office. It appears that his role for this particular property was one of supervisory rather than direct design. The current research information does not support considering Simon as a person of historical importance directly associated with the subject property.

Robert Dennis Murray. Architect Robert Dennis Murray, the local designer of the Santa Monica Post Office, was a somewhat active architect in the Los Angeles area with limited work in Santa Monica. Information regarding Murray or his portfolio of work is limited, but it appears that he was most prolific during the 1930s. Most of his work appears to have been in collaboration with other architects including the partnership of Newton and Murray, Architects, and Zimmerman and Murray, Associated Architects. Current research identifies two properties in Santa Monica that Murray designed, the Santa Monica Post Office and an apartment building along Ocean Avenue. Among his other work, mostly in partnership, Murray designed a number of Catholic churches in the Los Angeles region as well as a few apartment buildings, a library, medical office and sanitarium, and small public school facilities. Based upon Murray’s limited body of work, it cannot be concluded that he would be considered a notable member of his

3 National Register Nomination Form: U.S. Post Offices in California: 1900‐1941 Thematic Resources, 1985. Santa Monica Post Office, 1248 5th Street City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 6 profession or that the subject property represents the work of a master architect.

Joe Crail. Joe Crail was a congressional representative from California. After being admitted to the bar in 1903 he moved to California from Fairfield, Iowa and settled in Los Angeles. He was elected to Congress and served as chair of the Republican State central committee for southern California from 1918 to 1920. He was then elected as a Republican to the Seventieth, Seventy‐ first, and Seventy‐second Congresses (March 4, 1927 to March 3, 1933). He resumed the practice of law in Los Angeles following that time and died on March 2, 1938.4 Congressman Joe Crail initiated discussions with the Treasury Department and Congress in obtaining a formal downtown post office for the City of Santa Monica. Because of his early involvement with the project the plot of land where the subject property was ultimately built was acquired. That a well‐know and influential politician identified directly with the early development of the post office strongly supports the contention that the subject property is associated with a person of historical importance.

John F. Dockweiler. John Francis Dockweiler was a congressional representative from California. He was admitted to the bar in 1921 and commenced practice in Los Angeles in 1922. Dockweiler was elected as a Democrat to the Seventy‐third, Seventy‐fourth, and Seventy‐fifth Congresses (March 4, 1933 to January 3, 1939). He also ran for governor following his term in Congress but was unsuccessful. He then resumed the practice of law and became the district attorney for Los Angeles County from 1940 to 1943. He died in Los Angeles on January 31, 1943.5 As with Congressman Crail, Congressman Dockweiler was also instrumental in the negotiations, long‐range planning, and funding of the Santa Monica Post Office. Therefore, a strong argument may be made that the property is associated with another person of historical importance.

Statement of other significance

No other evidence was discovered in the current research effort of the property to indicate other significance.

Is the structure representative of a style in the City that is no longer prevalent?

The Santa Monica post office building is a distinctive local example of the PWA Moderne architectural style as applied to a federally‐owned government building located in the City of Santa Monica. It is one of a few such extant buildings in the City that represent a style in the community that is no longer (and was never) prevalent. Along with City Hall, this building is an excellent example of its type, style, and method of construction. It retains high integrity of location, materials, design, workmanship, association, setting, and feeling; and exhibits high‐ quality PWA Moderne inspired ornamentation and design features, including the vertically aligned pilasters; stylized parapet, skirting, and base trim; interior Art Deco motif elements; and balanced symmetrical facades.

4 Biography Directory of the United States Congress (1774 – Present), 2012. 5 Ibid. Santa Monica Post Office, 1248 5th Street City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 7 Does the structure contribute to a potential historic district?

The Santa Monica Post Office building is located within the boundary of the Central Business District, a potential historic district. The district consists of approximately 100 contributing structures, including the subject property, with boundaries defined by Wilshire Boulevard to the north, 2nd Street to the west, Colorado Avenue/Santa Monica Freeway to the south, and 4th Street (south of Santa Monica Boulevard) and 7th Street (north of Santa Monica Boulevard) to the east . The Post Office was previously identified in the City’s Historic Resources Inventory (Historic Resources Inventory Update, Central Business District and Third Street Promenade, 1996 and Citywide Historic Resources Survey Update, 2007) as being a contributor to the Central Business District and still remains a district contributor.

EVALUATION OF SIGNIFICANCE

In summary, based on current research and the above assessment, the property located at 1248 5th Street appears to meet many of the City of Santa Monica’s Landmark Criteria. The property was evaluated according to statutory criteria as follows:

Landmark Criteria:

9.36.100(a)(1) It exemplifies, symbolizes, or manifests elements of the cultural, social, economic, political or architectural history of the City.

The significance of the Post Office building in Santa Monica rests upon its intrinsic and representational values on a local level to the City. These values lie in the property’s ability to exemplify and manifest elements of the City’s architectural and political/government history. Government, civic, and institutional buildings represent an important type of property that helps form a community’s identity and history. Architecturally, the building is an excellent example of PWA Moderne architecture, a style specifically integrated into the construction of many federally funded public buildings of time, and one of only a few that were built in Santa Monica. It is a well‐preserved and locally notable and rear example of its genre – a small post office building of the mid to late 1930s. The building also represents Santa Monica’s part of a larger, more extensive federal construction program initiated in the late 1920s and operated throughout the 1930s. As such, the planning, funding, design and construction of this facility were authorized by the Public Works Administration. As one of the first federal buildings erected in the city, it was a source of pride for the community and was considered a locally prominent symbol of the federal government. Because of its unique historical associations, the subject property appears to satisfy this criterion.

9.36.100(a)(2) It has aesthetic or artistic interest or value, or other noteworthy interest or value.

The Art Deco inspired decorative motifs and features incorporated onto the primary (east) elevation of the building and within the public space of the lobby are indicative of the idiom. These design elements so fully articulate and epitomize the PWA Moderne style and concept of design that they possess high artistic value and aesthetic qualities sufficient to satisfy this

Santa Monica Post Office, 1248 5th Street City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 8 significance criterion.

9.36.100(a)(3) It is identified with historic personages or with important events in local, state or national history.

The property appears to satisfy this criterion since it is directly associated with two notable Congress Representatives, Joe Crail and John F. Dockweiler. Because of their commitment and long‐term legislative efforts in Congress they helped secure the necessary approvals and funding for purchasing the site of the post office as well as its planning, design, and construction. Therefore, the subject property appears eligible for local landmark designation under this criterion.

9.36.100(a)(4) It embodies distinguishing architectural characteristics valuable to a study of a period, style, method of construction, or the use of indigenous materials or craftsmanship, or is a unique or rare example of an architectural design, detail or historical type valuable to such a study.

This property thoroughly embodies the distinguishing design characteristics associated with the PWA Moderne style of architecture. The design of the building is such that it fully incorporates the key elements of the Art Deco and Streamline Moderne idioms in a manner that exemplifies an important property type, period of construction, and architectural style valuable for future study and preservation. Such features of the style include the structure’s broad horizontality and symmetry; its flat roof with plain parapet and tri‐banded cornice line; the simple poured‐in‐ place concrete exterior wall surface; distinctly framed entrances; and granite steps. In addition, the building’s most predominant PWA Moderne architectural features are its Art Deco decorative motifs on the exterior and interior and its emphasis on verticality by the use of elongated pilasters, fenestration, and monumental entry portals. Along with City Hall, the subject property is a rare representative example of the PWA Moderne architectural style within the community.

9.36.100(a)(5) It is a significant or a representative example of the work or product of a notable builder, designer or architect.

The design of the subject property was overseen by Louis A. Simon, the Supervising Architect for the United States Treasury Department (and the United States Postal Service), with local architect, Robert Dennis Murray, providing the primary architectural service. Current evidence indicates that Simon’s involvement with the design and construction of the Santa Monica Post Office was minimal. There is no information to suggest that Simon should be considered a master architect, particularly in association with this property. Research conducted during the current survey process also revealed a relatively modest track record of completed projects for subject property architect Robert D. Murray. As a Los Angeles‐based commercial architect, no evidence was uncovered to suggest that Murray was considered a notable member of his profession or was prominently awarded for his designs. Similarly, it does not appear that Murray was an especially prominent architect with a recognized body of work in Santa Monica. Therefore, due to the lack of association with a notable architect the subject property does not

Santa Monica Post Office, 1248 5th Street City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 9 appear eligible for local landmark designation under this criterion.

9.36.100(a)(6) It has a unique location, a singular physical characteristic, or is an established and familiar visual feature of a neighborhood, community or the City.

Despite being on an active corner, because the property is setback from the street, is one‐story in height, and is somewhat shielded by trees with large canopies it does not appear to satisfy this particular criterion.

Santa Monica Post Office, 1248 5th Street City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 10 CITY DIRECTORY RESEARCH

Santa Monica Post Office: 1248 5TH Street

Year Entry

1940 Post Office

1947‐1948 Post Office

1952‐1953 Post Office

1954 Post Office

1958‐1959 Post Office

1960‐1961 Post Office

Santa Monica Post Office, 1248 5th Street City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 11 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Basten, Fred E. Santa Monica Bay – The First 100 Years. Los Angeles: Douglas‐West Publishers, 1974.

Basten, Fred E. Santa Monica Bay: Paradise By the Sea. Santa Monica: Hennessey + Ingalls, 2001.

City of Santa Monica. Existing Conditions Report, prepared by Historic Resources Group and PCR Services Corporation, 2000.

City of Santa Monica Planning and Community Development Department. Historic Resources Inventory Update, September 30, 1995: Final Report.

City of Santa Monica Planning and Community Development Department. Historic Resources Inventory Update for the Central Business District and Third Street Promenade, April 12, 1998: Final Report.

City of Santa Monica Building and Safety Department. Building Permits.

City of Santa Monica Building and Safety Department. Santa Monica Historic Resources Inventory, 1985‐1986: Final Report.

City of Santa Monica Community Development Department, City Planning Division, State of California, Department of Parks and Recreation DPR523 forms, “Continuation Sheet: 1248 5th Street, March 1998” and “Continuation Sheet: 1248 5th Street, December 2007.”

Gebhard, David and Robert Winter. Architecture in Los Angeles. Salt Lake City, Utah: Peregrine

Smith Books, 1985.

Gebhard, David and Robert Winter. An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles. Salt Lake City, Utah: Gibbs Smith Publishers, 2003.

Gleye, Paul. The Architecture of Los Angeles. Los Angeles: Rosebud Books, 1981.

Los Angeles County Tax Assessor’s Information.

Los Angeles Public Library. On‐line Database: California Index. www.lapl.org

Los Angeles Times. “Santa Monica Receives New Post Office Plans.” July 6, 1937, p. A17.

Los Angeles Times. “City Hails Post Office.” July 24, 1938, p. I4.

Santa Monica Post Office, 1248 5th Street City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 12 Los Angeles Times. “Postal Bids Opened Soon.” June 23, 1937, p. I5.

McAlester, Virginia & Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990.

National Park Service. National Register Bulletin: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. Washington, DC: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division, 1990.

National Park Service. National Register Bulletin: How to Apply the National Register Criteria to Post Office. Washington, DC: US Depart. of the Interior, National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division, 1984, revised 1994.

Polk’s City Directories, City of Santa Monica.

Robinson, W.W. Santa Monica: A Calendar of Events in the Making of a City. California Title Insurance and Trust Company, 1959.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, City of Santa Monica.

Santa Monica Public Library, Santa Monica Index.

Santa Monica Public Library, Santa Monica Image Archives.

Storrs, Les. Santa Monica, Portrait of a City, 1875‐1975. Santa Monica: Santa Monica Bank, 1874.

United States Congress. “Biography Directory of the United States Congress (1774 – Present), 2012.“ Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives website: http://artandhistory.house.gov , accessed December 3, 2012.

United States Postal Service, Western Regional Office. National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form, “U.S. Post Office in California: 1900 – 1941 Thematic

University of California, Berkeley. “The Living New Deal: Still Work for America,” website: http://livingnewdeal.berkeley.edu/projects/santa‐monica‐post‐office‐santa‐monica‐ca, accessed December 3, 2012.

Warren, Charles S. ed. History of the Santa Monica Bay Region. Santa Monica: Cawston, 1934.

Warren, Charles S. ed. Santa Monica Blue Book. Santa Monica: Cawston, 1941.

Warren, Charles S. ed. Santa Monica Community Book. Santa Monica: Cawston, 1944. Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture Since 1780: A Guide to the Styles. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1999.

Santa Monica Post Office, 1248 5th Street City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 13 MISCELLENOUS ATTACHMENTS

Current Photographs

Historic Images

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, 1918‐1950

Current Tax Assessor Map

Tax Assessor Index Map

Building Permit

Santa Monica Post Office, 1248 5th Street City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 14

PHOTOGRAPHS

Figure 1: Southeast corner (oblique view), looking northwest

Figure 2: East (front) elevation, looking west

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Figure 3: East (front) elevation, looking southwest

Figure 4: East (front) elevation, looking northwest

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Figure 5: South entry portal. east elevation

Figure 6: Dedication plaque, east elevation

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Figure 7: Incised lettering detail, east elevation

Figure 8: Northern entry portal, east elevation

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Figure 9: South elevation and adjacent side yard, looking northwest

Figure 10: North elevation, looking southwest

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Figure 11: East elevation, architectural details

Figure 12: Railing detail along east elevation

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Figure 13: Southwest corner, looking northeast

Figure 14: West elevation, looking southeast

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Figure 15: Interior view, looking south

Figure 16: Interior woodwork detail, north wall

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Figure 17: Interior details and furniture, looking northeast

Figure 18: Wall, vent, and ceiling details

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Figure 19: Interior, terrazzo floor detail

Figure 20: Interior light fixture detail

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Figure 21: Post card, Santa Monica Post Office 1938

Figure 22: Dedication day, 1938

Santa Monica Post Office, 1248 5th Street City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 25

Figure 23: Post Office, c 1940

Figure 24: War Bond effort, c.1940

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