1910

— Historic Downtown New Ulm —

The federal government erected the post office building in 1910, designed by James Knox Taylor, the supervising architect of the United States Treasury. Although the city's postal service began in 1856, it had been located in rented space until construction of this building.

??Congress approved the funds for a new post office in 1906, and the site was purchased within a few months. However, the project ground to a halt when local residents complained that the initial drawings "showed a lack of architectural beauty." In response, the budget was increased from $30,000 to $50,000 and Taylor's office drafted new plans. Construction began in early 1909 and the new post office opened in May 1910.

??The building, with its Germanic-influenced steep-pitched roof and stepped gable ends, quickly became one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. A 1914 visitor noted, "The Federal Building at New Ulm differs so much from the average building that post office inspectors have been known to give up in despair trying to find the post office. It is said to be the first instance on the part of the government where a deviation was made in the architecture of a government building."

??The post office moved to a new location in 1976 and the building became the home of the Brown County Historical Society in 1984.

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Show me all markers in:  New Ulm, MN  |  Brown County  |  56073  |  Minnesota  |  United States of America

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