Chicago's Post Office Murals

During the great depression
Many post offices built 
as part of Roosevelt's New Deal 
were decorated with murals
of the "American scene." 
Several survive in Chicago

The Morgan Park Post Office
is far south 
at 1805 W MONTEREY AVE 
in chicago's Morgan park neighborhood
It's a red brick building 
on a stone base 
with stone entryway & cornice
Inside there is a mural titled: 
Father Marquette – 1674
The painting by artist J. Theodore Johnson
depicts father Jacques Marquette 
with native chicagoans 
smoking a peace pipe
Marquette was a french jesuit 
and the first european to winter in Chicago

The Forest Park Post Office
is just west of Chicago 
near the DesPlaines river
at 417 Desplaines Ave 
Its a lackluster brick and stone building
But inside is a wonderful painting 
Titled: The White Fawn
Painted in 1940 by artist Miriam McKinnie 
it depicts a local 1880s excursion boat 
called the White Fawn 
that took sightseers 
up and down the Des Plaines River

The Uptown Station Post office 
is in Chicago's uptown neighborhood 
at 4850 N Broadway
between Foster and Lawrence
It's a beautiful grey brick and stone building
With eagles flanking 
soaring bronze doors
Inside are two ceramic tile murals 
depicting poet Carl Sandburg 
and architech Louis Sullivan
by artist Henry Varnum Poor 

The Lakeview post office 
in Chicago's Lakeview Neighborhood
at 1343 W Irving Park 
is a brick building 
with rounded corners 
and double high stainless windows
Inside is the classic New Deal mural
titled Chicago: Epoch of a great city
and it's a great mural
with scenes from the stockyards
from industry 
from science
The Great Chicago Fire 
and the phoenix rising from the ashes.
Oh, and that's the artist throwing the switch
Harry Sternberg painted himself into this 
must see mural

Pioneers like Marquette 
Boats on the Des Plaines
the poet Carl Sandburg 
the architech Louis Sullivan
and the rise of the great city of chicago
are all depicted in Chicago's Post Office Murals

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