Reno Main Post Office
U.S. Post Office-Reno Main | |
 | |
   | |
| Location | 50 S. Virginia St., Reno, Nevada |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°31′29″N 119°48′39″W / 39.52472°N 119.81083°W |
| Area | 1.2 acres (0.49 ha) |
| Built | 1933 |
| Built by | MacDonald Engineering Co. |
| Architect | DeLongchamps, Frederick J. |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| MPS | US Post Offices in Nevada MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 90000135[1] |
| Added to NRHP | February 28, 1990 |
The former Reno Main Post Office, located at 50 S. Virginia St. in Reno, Nevada, was built in 1933. The post office was designed by noted Nevada architect Frederic J. DeLongchamps and was built by the MacDonald Engineering Co., of Chicago, at cost of $363,660. This building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. as U.S. Post Office-Reno Main.[1][2]
This building was deemed "an outstanding example of a combined post office and federal office building for a medium-sized city."[2]: 3 According to its 1990 NRHP nomination this is the sole post office built by the U.S. government in Nevada that has Art Deco/Moderne styling, but it is overall "Starved Classical" in style.[2]
In 1986, a lowered ceiling and improved lighting led to gains in the energy efficiency of the building, as well as improvements in the efficiency of mail sorting.[3]
In 2012, the Reno Main Post Office building was sold to a local developer, 50 South Virginia LLC, and repurposed as a mixed used building with retail, restaurant, and business office space. In 2015 the underground level was renovated and named “The Basement”, a collection of eateries and retail shops. In 2016, retailer West Elm opened their first Reno location on the first floor.[4][5] However, West Elm closed this location in 2022.[6]
The current main Reno Post Office is now located on Vassar Street.
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b c H.J. "Jim" Kolva and Steve Franks (February 1989). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Reno Main Post Office / Reno Downtown Station". National Park Service. and accompanying photos
- ^ Romm, J. J. (December 1994). Greening the Bottom Line. Second International Green Building Conference and Exposition-1995. p. 1.
- ^ Rothwell Harmon, Mella. "Reno Main U.S. Post Office". Reno Historical. Reno Historical Project.
- ^ Hoke, Janice (October 25, 2022). "The Basement is Overflowing". Reno News & Review. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ^ Oh, Kristin (April 25, 2022). "Downtown Reno's bougie furniture, home décor store West Elm is closing".
External links
Media related to United States Post Office (Reno, Nevada) at Wikimedia Commons