Hot Springs in Garland County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
Old Post Office
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 13, 2024
1. Old Post Office Marker
placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), and the Postal Mail and Philately series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1901.
Location. 34° 30.575′ N, 93° 3.153′ W. Marker is in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in Garland County. It is on Convention Boulevard just west of Malvern Avenue, on the right when traveling east. The marker is mounted at eye-level, directly on the subject building, just to the right of the south/front/main entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 119 Convention Boulevard, Hot Springs National Park AR 71901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Arkansas’ Ouachita Mountains. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Arkansas Blarney Stone (within shouting distance of this marker); Kenji Miyazawa (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Hot Springs' History is as Rich as its Natural Resources (about 300 feet away); The National Humane Alliance Fountain (about 300 feet away); First Hotel and Bath House in the Hot Springs Territory
this page online
Regarding Old Post Office. National Register of Historic Places № 90000547.
From the National Register Nomination prepared by Kenneth Story, Architectural Historian, 2/13/1990:
The Old Post Office, designed by Treasury Department architect James Knox Taylor in 1901, is the finest example of a Renaissance Revival design in downtown Hot Springs. Its abundance of elaborately carved and high-quality stone on the interior and exterior, coupled with the extraordinary craftsmanship required in the laying of exterior brick masonry and the assembly of the large fields of marble in the interior lobbies, elevates it to the status as one of the most expensive and labor-intensive structures in the city. The Old Hot Springs Post Office stands as one of the most detailed and elaborate in the state. This difference may be attributable to the status which Hot Springs enjoyed in the early twentieth century as a national park, a popular American health resort, and playground for the wealthy.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 13, 20242. Old Post Office (south/front/main entrance)The marker is mounted on the right side of the entrance. Today the building is home to the Selected Funeral & Life Insurance Company (SFLIC).
Also see . . . Old Post Office (Wikipedia).Excerpt: The Old Post Office is a steel and masonry structure, two stories in height, finished in brick and stone, with Renaissance Revival styling. Its main facade is five bays wide, with a center entrance set in a round-arch entrance with an elaborate keystone. The former post office was built in 1901 and is one of the city's best examples of Renaissance Revival architecture. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.(Submitted on January 7, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 13, 20243. Old Post Office (southwest elevation)Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 13, 20244. Old Post Office (west elevation)From the National Register Nomination: The eastern and western elevations are virtually identical, with the exception of the fact that the central bay on the first floor and basement of the eastern elevation is an entrance, while the central bay on the western elevation is a window. Otherwise, they both are three bays across, with basement windows capped with decorative pyramidal granite lintels, arched windows on the first floor of the south elevation, and rectangular windows on the second floor identical to those on the second floor of the south elevation.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 13, 20245. Old Post Office (north elevation 1912 Addition)Hot Springs National Park Post Office
Architect James Knox Taylor
General Contractor M. Yeager & Son
Initial Construction Completed 1902
Addition Completed 1912
Renovated and Restored 1990 by
Selected Funeral and Life Insurance Company
Restoration Architects Taylor, Kempkes, Hall
General Contractors Tony Usdrowski & Dennis Delany
From the National Register Nomination: The northern or rear elevation is identical to the southern elevation on the second floor with identical windows placed symmetrically across the facade. The first floor features the later 1912 addition, with its projecting cornice beneath a brick parapet roof on all of its three sides. It also is five bays across, featuring four symmetrically placed arched windows of identical sash configuration as the arched windows elsewhere on the building flanking a central arched entrance.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 13, 20246. Old Post Office (northeast elevation)Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 13, 20247. Old Post Office (southeast elevation)Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 13, 20248. Old Post Office (south/front elevation)From the National Register Nomination: The southern or front facade is composed of four monumental wood windows symmetrically arranged around the central entrance. The facade is also divided horizontally into a brick-faced second story and a stone-faced first story and raised basement. The entrance is trimmed with stone voussoirs and a large, decorative keystone. The second story features five evenly spaced rectangular windows of identical size and design. Each is trimmed in sandstone with dog-ear crowns and identical jamb moldings which descend to a projecting sill. The elevation is accessed by a large, stone exterior stair with curved walls at the street level and sloped stoops rising to the entrance.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 7, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 6, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 175 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on January 7, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
