| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the State Historical Society, Division of Historic Preservation. DESCRIPTION OF GENERAL AREA:
THE HAYWARD POST OFFICE IS LOCATED AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF IOWA AVENUE AND FOUTH STREET ON THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE CITY'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. IOWA AVENUE IS HAYWARD'S PRIMARY BUSINESS THOROUGHFARE, AND TO THE EAST OF THE POST OFFICE ARE A VARIETY OF ONE- AND TWO-STORY WOOD FRAME AND BRICK COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS. IMMEDIATELY WEST OF THE POST OFFICE IS THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH (1898) AND A BLOCK OF SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES. DIRECTLY ACROSS IOWA AVENUE ARE SEVERAL ONE-STORY, WOOD FRAME BUILDINGS, AND TO THE NORTHEAST IS THE MODERN SAWYER COUNTY COURTHOUSE.
GENERAL CONDITION OF PROPERTY:
THE HAYWARD POST OFFICE IS LOCATED ON A SPACIOUS, FLAT CORNER LOT. PATCHES OF GRASS SURROUND THE BUILDING ON THE FORNT AND BOTH SIDES, AND A BIRCH TREE GROWS AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE LOT. A PAVED PARKING LOT SURROUNDS THE BACK OF THE BUILDING AND MAILING PLATFORM.
THE HAYWARD POST OFFICE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND EXCEPT FOR A FEW MINOR CHANGES IS NEARLY INTACT. THE ORIGINAL WOODEN FRONT DOORS WERE REPLACED AT AN UNKNOWN DATE WITH ALUMINUM AND GLASS DOORS. A WORKROOM SKYLIGHT WAS REMOVED AND ENCLOSED IN THE 1970'S. THE MAILING PLATFORM WAS ENLARGED AND ENCLOSED AT AN UNKNOWN DATE. OTHER ALTERATIONS INSIDE THE BUILIDNG HAVE RESULTED FROM EFFORTS TO MODERNIZE AND INCREASE EFFICIENCY. THE "L"-SHAPED LOBBY WAS REDUCED IN SIZE TO A RECTANGULAR SHAPE WITH THE ENLARGEMENT OF THE WORKROOM ALONG THE EAST WALL. NEW SCREENLINES AND FLUORESCENT LIGHTS WERE INSTALLED AT AN UNDETERMINED DATE.
DESCRIPTION OF BUILDING MATERIALS:
THIS ONE-STORY BUILDING HAS ITS FOUNDATION, WALLS PIERS, AND FLOORS CONSTRUCTED OF REINFORCED CONCRETE. EXTERIOR WALLS ARE COVERED WITH MEDIUM RED BRICK LAID IN ENGLISH BOND WITH EVERY OTHER COURSE COMPOSED OF HEADERS. LIGHT GRAY LIMESTONE IS USED FOR THE WINDOW SILLS AND COPING. MOLDED BRICK FORMS THE WATER TABLE. TWO SETS OF CONCRETE AND GRANITE STEPS LEAD UP TO THE ENTRANCE, WHICH HAS A SEGMENTALLY ARCHED TRANSOM PARTIALLY COVERED BY A LARGE ALUMINUM EAGLE. FLANKING THE GRANITE STEPS ARE WROUGHT-IRON RAILINGS AND TWO ORIGINAL LAMPPOSTS. WINDOW BAYS ARE SLIGHTLY REVEALED AND CONSIST OF DOUBLE HUNG 8/8 SASH. CENTERED IN THE FACADE ARE GOLD LEAF ALUMINUM LETTERS THAT SPELL "UNITED STATES POST OFFICE, HAYWARD WISCONSIN." THE SQUARE-SHAPED, THREE-BAY CENTRAL PORTION OF THE BUILDING HAS A PYRAMIDAL HIPPED ROOF COVERED WITH SHINGLE TILE, WHILE THE TWO WINGS HAVE FLAT ROOFS COVERED WITH COMPOSITION. A BRICK CHIMNEY RISES FROM THE BACK OF THE BUILDING. VIGGO M. JENSEN & CO., CONTRACTOR FROM ALBERT LEA, MINNESOTA AND CECIL E. MYERS, CONSTRUCTION ENGINEER WERE THE ORIGINAL PARTICPANTS INVOLVED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS POSTAL FACILITY. FIRST OCCUPIED IN JUNE OF 1941, THE BUILDING HAD NOT YET BEEN COMPLETED UNTIL C. OCTOBER 1941.
THE PUBLIC LOBBY FEATURES A PATTERNED TERRAZZO FLOOR OF REDDISH-BROWN COLORS DIVIDED BY 1/4"-THICK BRASS STRIPS ENCLOSED WITHIN A BLACK MARBLE BORDER. THE BASE IS BLACK MARBLE AND THE WAINSCOT IS "BAKER DARK CEDAR" MARBLE. THE WALLS AND CEILING ARE PLASTER. CAST-IRON GEOMETRIC ZIGZAG GRILLES AND OTHER DECORATIVE MOTIFS ADORN THE CORNICE. THE ORIGINAL FIVE-SIDED WOOD AND GLASS VESTIBULE WITH BRASS KICK PLATE IS INTACT. ON THE WEST WALL ABOVE THE POSTMASTER'S DOOR IS A MURAL ENTITLED "LAND OF WOOD AND LAKES" PAINTED IN 1942 BY STELLA E. HARLOS UNDER COMMISSION TO THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT'S SECTION OF PAINTING AND SCULPTURE (LATER KNOWN AS THE SECTION OF FINE ARTS). THE POSTMASTER'S OFFICE HAS CARPET OVER THE WOOD FLOOR, A WOOD CHAIR RAIL, PICTURE MOLD, AND PLASTER WALLS AND CEILING. THE WORKROOM HAS A WOOD FLOOR, 4'6"-HIGH TONGUE AND GROOVE WAINSCOT, AND PLASTER WALLS AND CEILING.
THE FIRST FLOOR PLAN CONSISTS OF A RECTANGULAR PUBLIC LOBBY (ORIGINALLY "L"-SHAPED). OCCUPYING THE NORTHWEST CORNER IS THE POSTMASTER'S OFFICE AND BATHROOM. THE WORKROOM IS ESSENTIALLY AN OPEN RECTANGULAR SPACE BEHIND THE LOBBY WITH A VAULT, SWING ROOM, BATHROOM, AND JANITOR'S CLOSET. EXTENDING TO THE WEST IS A NARROW MAILING VESTIBULE AND PLATFORM.
THE BASEMENT FLOOR PLAN CONSISTS OF THE FUEL ROOM, BOILER ROOM, THREE STORAGE ROOMS, AND THREE OFFICES WITH TILE FLOORS, WOOD TRIM, CHAIR RAILS, AND DOORS, AND ACOUSTICAL TILE CEILINGS. THE OFFICES WERE ORIGINALLY USED BY THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, THE AGRICULTURE EXTENSION SERVICE, AND THE FARM SECURITY ADMINISTRATION.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
STELLA HARLOS, A PAINTER AND TEACHER, WAS BORN IN MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN ON 6 AUGUST 1901 AND DIED IN 1978. SHE STUDIED AT THE LAYTON SCHOOL OF ART, MILWAUKEE WITH G.V. SINCLAIR AND W. OWENS, JR. HARLOS WAS AN AWARD-WINNING EXHIBITOR AT THE MILWAUKEE ART INSTITUTE IN 1924. SHE EXECUTED A MURAL FOR THE HAYWARD, WISCONSIN POST OFFICE IN 1942 AT A COST OF $750.00.
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
THE HAYWARD POST OFFICE IS ARCHITECTURALLY SIGNIFICANT AS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF "STARVED CLASSICISM" (ALSO REFERRED TO AS PWA MODERN), A SIMPLIFED CLASSICAL STYLE THAT BLENDS MODERN AND CLASSICAL ELEMENTS CHARACTERIZED BY SYMMETRICAL MASSING AND RELATIVELY PLAIN SURFACES. THESE CHARACTERISTICS ARE DISPLAYED IN THE SYMMETRICAL, FIVE-BAY FACADE WITH REVEALED WINDOW BAYS AND SIMPLE ORNAMENTAL DETAILS.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
THE HAYWARD POST OFFICE IS HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT CONTRIBUES TO A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMMUNITY'S HISTORY DURING THE NEW DEAL ERA. IN PARTICULAR, THE LOBBY MURAL BY STELLA E. HARLOS REPRESENTS ONE VITAL PART OF THE ONLY COMPREHENSIVE PUBLIC COLLECTION OF ART PROTRAYING THE CULTURE AND CHARACTER OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FOR A GIVEN PERIOD. UNLIKE THE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION FEDERAL ART PROJECT, WHICH WAS DIRECTED TOWARD PROVIDING FINANCIAL RELIEF TO ARTISTS TO PRESERVE THEIR SKILLS, THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT'S SECTION OF PAINTING AND SCUPTURE SOUGHT TO PROVIDE MURALS AND SCULPTURES FOR NEWLY-CONSTRUCTED BUILDINGS. IN THE NINE YEARS OF ITS EXISTENCE, THE SECTION COMMISSIONED APPROXIMATELY 1,200 MURALS AND 300 SCULPTURES FOR POST OFFICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THE HAYWARD POST OFFICE IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S DISTINGCTIVE STYLE CALLED "STARVED CLASSICISM." IT REPRESENTS THE SYMBOLIC IMPACT OF THE GOVERNMENT'S ROLE IN LOCAL ARCHITECTURE BECAUSE AT THE TIME THE POST OFFICE WAS BUILT, THE GOVERNMENT EMPHASIZED ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY IN ITS RAPIDLY EXPANDING PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAM. IN ADDITION TO ITS DESIGN QUALITIES, THE POST OFFICE MURAL MERITS SIGNIFICANCE UNDER NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERION A FOR ITS HISTORIC ASSOCIATION WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S DEPRESSION ERA NEW DEAL PROGRAMS TO BRING ORIGINAL WORKS OF ART TO THE PUBLIC AND TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO ARTISTS. THIS MURAL MEETS CRITERION C AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF A BUILDING REPRESENTING A SIGNIFICANT TYPE, PERIOD, AND STYLE OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION. FINALLY, THE MURAL IS SIGNIFICANT UNDER CRITERION D FOR ITS INFORMATION POTENTIAL RELATING TO ARTISTIC EXPRESSION AND TECHNIQUE OF THE PERIOD AND THE SOCIAL HISTORY OF THE LOCALITY DEPICTED.S |
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