The Historic Troy Post Office

The Historic Troy Post Office, a Classical Revival-style building completed in 1910, remained in service until 1980. Its design draws heavily on Roman and Greek models, with two stories and a basement, and a main workroom rising the full height of the building. When first occupied, its massive oak revolving door with brass push plates was an innovation. The building measured 40 by 80 feet on a lot 120 by 100 feet. Parcel post service began nationwide in 1912, and in January 1913 Troy's parcel post business was reported to be growing rapidly, with more than 800 packages arriving in the city and about 600 sent out during the first seven days. The front has seven bays and a closely engaged portico with two brick pilasters and four engaged modified Doric brick columns with limestone capitals and bases. Five Palladian arched openings with large keystones fill the spaces between the columns, with the center opening holding the main entrance and the others containing double windows. Above the windows runs a small limestone belt course, and the brick wall above is paneled like five blind windows. The columns are topped by a molded architrave and a wide frieze bearing the building's name, above which rises a cornice with compound crown molding and a dentil band. On the front façade, rectangular pilasters are flanked by large lower-floor sash windows and smaller second-story windows, and a similarly detailed cornice runs around the top of the entire building. After renovation in July 2007, the old post office reopened to the public in 2008 as the Johnson Center for the Arts.

Troy, Alabama · United States