Since coming to work for the Postal Service I've found the architecture of the various offiices to be interesting. Though each office performs the same basic services, albeit some serving a much larger constituency than others, each one is unique in it's own right.
At times there seems to be no "standard" plan or design. In recent years every office built has a uniquely designed look, modified for the specific location and site. Some are all business, boxy, plain, lots of flat surfaces with glass and metal. Some are rounded, brick, smaller, narrow windows. Some have broad covered entries, some small square, round or pyramidal entries, and some no entry covering at all. Some older offices appear to have been built elsewhere and dropped into place with no relation to the surrounding buildings while others are designed to complement the surrounding architecture.
It is easy to see the evolution of old design to new. Plain, businesslike or even government like designs, all looking the same, evolved into modern designs with character and even...beauty and style. Some of the most enjoyable are the much older and smaller offices. Small rectangular clapboard structures without even the most basic amenities. Some offices are located in former gas stations or sharing a building with a convenience store. While others, some dating back to the early part of the century, are located in building that on one time, or may yet still be used as local federal office building.
To me, the most enjoyable are those few left that are located in the old "mom and pop" groceries. They speak of the wood and glass display cases, narrow plank floors and sometimes, if you look, you can find a potbellied stove with a collection of rockers gathered 'round waiting for a conversation. These pictures come from my travels around the North Florida District and elsewhere. Enjoy browsing. |
