Arlington Post Office Plaque

Amidst the bustling streets of Arlington, Virginia, stands a silent sentinel of history: the Arlington Post Office Plaque. This plaque marks not just a building, but a pivotal moment in Arlington’s transformation. The Arlington Post Office, established in 1936, consolidated postal services for the entire county. Before its construction, Arlington’s streets were a chaotic jumble, with multiple streets sharing the same name. Mail delivery was unreliable, hindering the county’s growth. The standardization of street names in 1934, a direct precursor to the post office’s construction, was a watershed moment. This seemingly mundane act unified Arlington, paving the way for a centralized postal system and a stronger sense of community. The Arlington Post Office, a grand Georgian Revival structure completed in 1937, became the first federal building in the county, a symbol of its growing importance. The cornerstone laying ceremony was a grand affair, attended by thousands, including Postmaster General James A. Farley. The trowel used had laid the cornerstones of the US Capitol, the Smithsonian, and the Washington Monument, connecting the Arlington Post Office to the nation’s most iconic structures. Inside the post office, a series of murals by Auriel Bessemer depict scenes of Virginia life, from Native American settlements to a 1930s apple harvest. These murals, funded by the Treasury Department’s Section of Fine Art, reflect the New Deal era’s focus on portraying American values and boosting morale during economic hardship. The Arlington Post Office Plaque serves as a reminder of this building’s vital role in shaping Arlington’s identity and its journey from a collection of disparate villages to a unified community. It symbolizes the power of infrastructure, not just to facilitate communication, but to forge a sense of place and shared purpose.