The mammoth building at 901 Lake Street has been taken for granted by many. It is quietly graceful in comparison to its decorative neighbor, Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple. It is also one of the most visited spots in Oak Park.

Former Oak Park Postmaster Ralph Wright called the main branch of the Oak Park Post Office "the most beautiful building I have been in." Wright had seen his share of post offices. Before coming to Oak Park as Postmaster in 1974, Wright traveled as a postal inspector, visiting "almost every post office between New York and San Francisco." Oak Parkers should take a moment to notice the unique building.

Designed by Charles E. White, Jr. a student of Frank Lloyd Wright in the early 1900's, the Post Office Building was built to last. White, in a January 1932 presentation to the village zoning board, said "all materials specified are the most enduring that can be obtained." So sturdy is the building that it is expected to last another 200 years.

The four murals on the walls of the building were done by Work Progress Administration (WPA) artist J. Theodore Johnson. Johnson was a native of Oregon, Illinois who had come to Chicago to study at the Art Institute. At the time he was commissioned to do the four pictures, he was living in New York City. Each picture depicts a scene of history significance to Oak Park. The murals are titled

• "LaSalle's Search for Tonti 1680"
• "The Foundation of Fort Crevecoeur"
• "The Oscelo - First Shipment of Wheat from Chicago in 1839"
• "The Pioneer, the First Train West of Chicago to Oak Ridge (Oak Park)"

The four murals, which were hung in June 1939, had been commissioned for $3,000. An Oak Park journalist sniffed that the artist had made the mistake of depicting an Illinois pioneer wearing his boots laced - something that was unheard of at the time in the time in Illinois. The paintings are historically significant in themselves. Oak Park is one of the few post offices in the area with WPA murals.

Plans for the new post Office began in 1930 with the purchase of the lot on which it now stands. Three magnificent homes were demolished to make room for the post office which was characterized as "modern, with a Greek feeling" by architect White. The cornerstone of the building was laid on June 14, 1933. City fathers placed a copper box containing historical artifacts in the cornerstone.

Included in the copper box were phonograph records of the village fire bell; the voices of E. W. Hoard and E. F. Robbins (both then over 90 years old) of the Borrowed Time Club, made in 1905; and the voices of Philander Barclay (a village historian, pictured below right) and postmaster Lester McAllister.

Also included in the box were the history of the Oak Park Post Office and of the Borrowed Time Club, a roster of post office employees at the time, a card with six postage stamps and an Oak Park cancellation, pictures and history of Civil War veterans, a copy of the dedication speech by Congressman Thomas J. O'Brien, and a dedication ceremony program. Also included were a 1933 Oak Park phone book, a copy of postal regulations, a souvenir publication commemorating the 25^th anniversary of Oak Park incorporation, and a small American flag. Finally, there were clips from local Chicago newspapers about the new post office.

The project was to have been completed in late 1934 but was not actually finished until two years later. The reason behind the long delay was finally revealed in 1939. The original construction company had been fired because of artistic differences between the company and the sculpture of the stone carvings ("of heroic proportions") that were to have decorated the Lake Street side of the building. The stone carvings were eventually toned down and a new construction company resumed the project. The Brass Moldings over the exterior doors are particularly beautiful. They depict the variety of modes of mail delivery over the ages. They have recently been refurbished by as part of the building work in 1997 under the guidance of Postmaster Ronald H. Pusateri. Stop on your next visit to the Post Office, take a moment before entering to look at the marvelous detail over the entrances.

The building, when completed in 1936, had the ability to handle 100 tons of mail per month and a population of 130,000. The only remodeling since the construction of the Post Office Building has been the addition of doors, near where the blocks of lock boxes presently are, and the conversion of the gas lanterns in the Postmaster's Office to electric lights.

The color of the walls has changed many times since the building was constructed, often to colors not necessarily faithful to the original concept, as noted by the current Manager of Customer Services, George A. Stuper. The wood panels have never been painted. The marble and wood floors have never been tiled. Former Postmaster Wright attributed this to former postmasters who have tried to keep the building's original look.

Other architectural elements of the building still pose a mystery. A star motif runs throughout the building -- a band of stars runs around the top of the walls and is repeated in the light fixtures. Horse heads and coats-of-arms are molded into the window casements. The building has an art deco feeling what architect White called "modern" at its conception.