US Post Office-Pampa Main

The U.S. Post Office in Pampa, Texas, is an outstanding example of the Spanish Renaissance Revival Style popular in the Southwest during the 1920s and 1930s, as well as an excellent representation of the style as it was utilized by the federal government for its institutional needs. Built during the depths of the Depression, it was an unusually elaborate and expensive structure. Its size and elaborateness indicates the sudden impact and raised expectations of the Gray County oil boom of the late 1920s. Thus, the architectural significance of the Pampa Post Office building is strengthened by the economic and historical circumstances of its construction.

During the 1920s, Pampa grew from a sleepy ranching and farming community of less than a thousand people into a bustling oil and gas center of over ten thousand. As this development progressed, the Postal Service attempted, in vain, to keep pace. Before the oil boom occurred, the Pampa Post Office ranked as a third-class office in leased or rented space. Annual postal receipts averaged less than $20,000 per year before 1926, the year oil activity began to increase in the Pampa area. By the end of 1926, however, quarterly receipts had jumped to $127,671. On July 1, 1927, Pampa became a second-class office, but continued growth forced an upgrading of the office to a first-class post office on July 1, 1928. The Postal Service had attempted to keep pace with demand by leasing larger facilities in the Duncan Building in 1926. But by the early 1930s, it was obvious that a new facility was needed.

While Pampa's need for a new post office grew critical, Congressman Marvin Jones was becoming increasingly influential in Washington. Jones, an Amarillo Democrat, was consolidating his power base in the House and would be a major player in Roosevelt's New Deal. As the Depression deepened, the Pampa project grew from a simple small-town post office into a major Public Works Administration undertaking. Jones, as chairman of the subcommittee overseeing all such projects, pushed the Pampa Post Office (and other Panhandle projects) ahead of others. The original allotment of $80,000 was doubled to $160,000 before construction began, then cut ten percent as an economic measure.

In early 1933, lots for the new structure were purchased from the White House Lumber Company and the Fletcher estate. The total cost for the 140-foot x 125-foot site was $25,000. Construction began in the spring of 1933, and U.S. Congressman Marvin Jones spoke at the cornerstone laying in June of that year. The contractor for the project was Stibbard Construction Company, and the architects were DeWitt and Washburn of Dallas and T.P. Lippincott of Philadelphia. W. R. Walker of Detroit served as Superintendent of Construction, while H.W. Olmsted was a construction engineer for the Treasury Department.

The Spanish Renaissance Revival structure is a large building for a town the size of Pampa, elaborate on both the interior and exterior. The spectacular gold leaf, the rich color scheme, and the liberal use of marble and other expensive materials are out- standing. The Post Office is one of the most architecturally significant buildings in Pampa, and one of the few where the building's style is an integral part of the interior and exterior design and not merely applied ornamentation.

The Pampa Post Office opened for business on June 25, 1934, and was dedicated to a service on August 8. Once again, Congressman Marvin Jones served as the speaker, addressing a crowd of several thousand onlookers. Pampa's Post Office opened with a flourish in 1934, and quickly became a major local landmark and social institution. Its completion marked the end of the downtown building boom fueled by the expanding oil industry. No other large-scale projects occurred in the downtown until the 1950s. As in most small cities, the post office serves as a local gathering place. The post office is a pulse point for Pampa on a day-to-day basis, helping the city's downtown remain viable and active.