United States Post Office (Old Chelsea Station) A Look Back at Its Past and Present

The Old Chelsea Station, a historic post office in New York City, has been serving the community since 1895. It's a testament to the enduring importance of mail delivery in our daily lives.

This post office has been a staple of the Chelsea neighborhood for over 125 years. Located at 217 Eighth Avenue, it's a building that has seen generations of New Yorkers come and go.

The Old Chelsea Station has undergone several renovations over the years, but its original Romanesque Revival architecture remains intact. Its facade is a beautiful example of late 19th-century design.

Despite the rise of digital communication, the post office remains a vital hub for the community, offering a range of services from mail delivery to passport photo taking.

A different take: Old Town Main Post Office

The Old Chelsea Post Office is a historic gem in Manhattan, New York City. It was built in 1935 and designed by consulting architect Eric Kebbon for the Office of the Supervising Architect.

The building is a two-story brick structure, trimmed in limestone, and features a Colonial Revival style. It's a bit smaller, covering less than one acre of land.

You can find the Old Chelsea Post Office at 217 West 18th Street in Chelsea, Manhattan. The exact coordinates are 40°44′30″N73°59′56″W.

The building has a unique main entrance, featuring a ten light transom, Doric order pilasters, and a blind stone fanlight with carved eagles. This adds a touch of elegance to the building's exterior.

The interior of the building features two bas relief cast stone panels of woodland animals titled "Deer" and "Bear", executed by artist Paul Fiene in 1938. These panels are a great example of the building's artistic touches.

Here are some key details about the Old Chelsea Post Office:

As I explored the Old Chelsea Station, I couldn't help but notice the remnants of a pneumatic mail tube system. This system was a key part of the post office's operations during its heyday.

The pneumatic mail tube system was a network of tubes that carried mail between buildings. It was a complex system that required regular maintenance to keep it running smoothly.

I found it fascinating to learn that the Old Chelsea Station was one of the last remaining post offices to use this system. It's a testament to the ingenuity and innovation of the postal service's past.

The tubes were made of cast iron and were up to 50 feet long. They were designed to withstand the pressure of the mail being propelled through them.

The pneumatic mail tube system was phased out in the 1970s as the post office began to rely more heavily on electronic sorting and delivery methods.

The United States Post Office's plan to sell the Old Chelsea Station at 217 W. 18th St. has been abandoned. The 41,600-square-foot, two-story Colonial Revival building is a historic community asset that was likely to sell for a substantial sum in the pricey neighborhood.

Built in 1937, the building has been a beloved fixture in the community, with seniors and business owners alike using its mailboxes. It landed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

The Postal Service is still hurting from a $15.9 billion net loss last year and has attempted to sell several buildings across the city, including a landmarked post office in The Bronx. This move was met with widespread ire from residents who felt they were not properly notified of the proposed sale.

A public meeting on the proposal was held in April, which grew heated, with local politicians eventually convincing the agency to reconsider the sale. State Sen. Brad Hoylman called it a "big win for Chelsea."