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Date: 1939
City: Detroit
The United States Postal Service Jefferson Station at 10721 East Jefferson Avenue was built in 1939 in the East Village neighborhood of Detroit. It was constructed as part of a series of new facilities and post office modernizations around the city to deal with ever increasing volumes of mail. The Jefferson Station consists of two connected volumes. The eastern volume at Jefferson and Montclair contains the postal lobby on the first floor and offices above. An elevated granite terrace leads to the main public entrance at this corner. The postal lobby is illuminated by four large banks of glass block window surrounded by limestone paneling. Carved lettering near the entrance provides the name of the facility and incorporates important federal imagery with a Moderne influence, including an image of an eagle, olive branch, and thirteen stars.
The remainder of the building is clad in buff colored brick, including the western volume, which contains a large workspace where mail carrier delivery work stations are arranged. This is illuminated by nine tall window openings along the Jefferson façade. A long loading dock extends along the alley on the north side. The strong use of horizontal and vertical lines, light color exterior treatments and flat roof embody core features of the International Style. The building was constructed by Henry Dattner Co. of Detroit for a cost of $153,200.
