The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-07-20
Bane's New federal Building of
Barre Granite
WELL EQUIPPED BUILDING
It's Construction Has Taken Practically
Ore Year, and Postofice Headquar-
tiers Will Be Moved to IT from
City Hall About Aug. /.

When within few days the present
postofiice quarters in the city building
are moved across the street to the newly
completed structure OF native granite at
tr corner OF South Main and Prospect
streets, Barres long cherished desire will
be realized in the shape OF the finest and
most modern federal building in Ner-
mont, if not in New England The splen-
did new block of the best Barre granite
procurable is now all but completed
and in the Il months which its construc-
tion has occupied the sum of $4,000
has been expended by the government.
According to present plans, the building
viii be open to the public August /, at
which time the postoilice equipment and
the attaches will be enseonced under a
new roof
The building measures 60 by Is feet
and has an average height Of 40 feet,
capped by a deck roof, The walls are OF
hammered Barre granite, much of which
was quarried from the Miles deposit and
cut by the Presbrey Coykendall Co., ac-
cording to the contract accepted by the
original contractors, the Westchester En-
gineering Co. of New York. Plans for
the structure were drawn by j. Knox
Taylor, supervising architect Of the treas
ury department, and in the general
scheme of its construction the author of
the design has not departed from classic
lines. 1t has been often said that build
ings constructed for the government were
monstrosities in themselves. but this is
not true of the new Barre postoilice.
Il. - L L. 4
the later federal structures have copied
this modest design.
The history OF the new Barre postoiiiee
began when Congress first appropriated
the sum of 100000. BY many it was be-
lieved at that time that sl:eh an amount
was insufficient to cover the cost of a
building commensurate with the present
size and prospective growth of the COM
munity. A later appropriation of $4,000
was afterwards augmented by an addi-
tional $4,000, which brought the total
up to $9S,000, With this sum appro-
priated, plans for the structure were
and the site was purchased of
the Martin estate for Sl3,500 The gen
eral contract was let to the Westchester
Engineering Co. for SS5 900, although the
terms of the agreement have been altered
from time to time
Sid III. Nealy. government architect
of long experience, who had spent several
years constructing legation buildings for
the United States in China, took charge
of the building operations, and he was
present when ground for the structure
was broken. 1t may be said that Mr..
Nealy witnessed practically all the con
struction of the building, for its compile
tion was well in hand when f. A. Hills, "a
second supervising architect, who haa
charge of government buildings in course
of construction in Malone, \. v, and |
Richford, superseded him. The latter
has been in Barre at different times for
the past two months, and he will make !
the final inspection before it is turned
over to the government by the CON
tractors.
Entrance to the administration floor of |
the postoffice is gained by main door |
on the South Main street side. while a /
second entrance is located on the Pros !
pect street side. Spacious steps of gram
te lead TO either entrance. and revolving !
doors admit to the interior The steps I
at both entrances are flanked at either /
side by elevated lamps of pleasing de- |
sign. The portico on the South Main |
street side has two handsome futed pill
ars. The grounds about the building /
nave been terraced and seeded down on !
two sides A driveway for the r. +. ID. /
,arriers and the mail wagons has been
constructed along the south and west
'ides. Over a concrete bottom. sun-dried 1
bricks have been placed for the wheel
way. Skirting the west side is an iron
-ailing that adds much TO the appearance
If the grounds.
The Interior