You’ve Got Mail!
Located in the heart of Downtown Phoenix, the sixth largest city in America, the historic post office at 522 N. Central Ave. is one of the oldest buildings in sight.
The U.S. Post Office was built in 1935, and celebrates 82 years of existence this year. Normal mail services are still available, and as seen in the image below, the P.O. Boxes serve as testament to the chosen architectural design during the 1930s.
The General Admissions Administration describes the building as, “The only federal building from the period remaining in the city, the Post Office possess substantial architectural merit as an example of Spanish Colonial Revival Design.”
The post office now shares its building with a variety of student organizations from Arizona State University, including the counseling center, and Changemaker Central, all of which according to the ASU website, were opened back in 2013.
Other organizations which may be found in the building include ASU Police, Career Services, Dean of Students, Student Advocacy, Student Rights and Responsibilities, Student Engagement and TRiO
The building was renovated and modernized to serve new purposes. The historical architecture visible throughout the first floor continues to be preserved, while high definition televisions, a grand piano, a recreation room and other additions may be found on the second and third floor of the building.
Inside, pictures and paintings hanging on the walls reflect and depict more than eight decades of history from the city of Phoenix in the style of Social Realism, a prevalent style during the 1930s and 40s.
Across the street from the Westward Ho, and the downtown ASU campus, the post office is surrounded by a large park, which encompasses a coffee shop, an ASU art gallery, and public transportation hub.
A bill introduced in November of 2015 is planning to rename the post office after a decorated retired congressman known as Ed Pastor, a former Sun Devil and the first Latino congressman from Arizona.
Other historic buildings in the vicinity include the Hotel San Carlos, Heritage Square, the Luhrs Tower, First Southern Baptist Church and many more.
