California & Texas City Halls

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Today I am discussing two additional city hall postcards with the first one being from San Jose California. This circa 1908 view is set in a city park complete with beautiful palm trees, a statue and children. This serene setting is in stark contrast to the usual busy downtown setting, especially in a larger city, but not unexpected in California. This City Hall is a beautiful three story building that is as pretty as it's setting. This is Pacific Novelty Company (PNC)postcard #7707 and is available in my California listings on my website Moody's Postcards.

The second City Hall is also a circa 1908 view in Houston Texas and this one also serves as a "Market House" which appears to be on the left end of the building but could also be on the right end since the building appears to be same on both ends. The surrounding buildings indicate that building was on the town Square. Be sure to check out the unusual balconies in the two towers, one of which has a clock. Dual purpose City Halls were not unusual and next time I will discuss two more dual purpose city halls. You can find this one in my Texas listings on my website Moody's Postcards.

Milwaukee Wisconsin City Hall Circa 1908

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Today's City Hall postcard brings to my mind the song "Long Tall Sally" and is one or the more unusual shapes which appears to be a result of the real estate that was available. This is a massive building which dwarfs all of the surrounding businesses especially when you consider that the photographer was on top of the buildings on the left. Half way up the side facing us is a sign saying "WELCOME" and the top of the tower has a huge clock. This is Acmegraph postcard #4009 and they are one of my favorite publishers since they consistently produce excellent postcards. This postcard is available in my Wisconsin listings on my website, Moody's Postcards.

Early 1900s City Hall Buildings

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After looking at some early Post Office postcards I have decided to show you some early City Hall postcards. The first is a circa 1906 view of the City Hall in Monrovia California and this one was built to last. Made of large grey stones with beautiful arches around doors and windows it also has columns on the corners and supporting the dormer on the front. The second man from the right in front of the building is a sheriff or policeman and just behind the horse and buggy is a hand truck. This postcard is available in my California listings on my website, Moody's Postcards.

The second City Hall is in Coral Gables Florida on this 1920s postcard and has an unusual and impressive rounded front with columns. Located at Le Jeune Road and Coral Way, it has a much lighter and appealing appearance than the more austere Monrovia building. This postcard is available in the Florida listings on Moody's Postcards.

More Early 1900s Post Office Buildings

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I found a couple more post office postcards that will contrast the big city version with the small town version but these two have something in common. It was not unusual for the post office to share a building with another government office and our large city example is a combination of the Post Office and the Federal Building in Omaha Nebraska. This is a Curteich post card, was published in 1909 and is available on Moody's Postcards in the Nebraska listings.

The second postcard shows the Key West Florida Post Office and Custom House and while much smaller, it is a beautiful building. This is also a Curteich post card, was published in 1907 and is available in the Florida listings on my website, Moody's Postcards.

Early 1900s Post Office Buildings

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The post offices of the early 1900s showed tremendous variety, style, imagination and beauty especially when compared with the post offices of today that look like boxes with windows. The first example is the Post Office of Sioux Falls South Dakota on this circa 1908 postcard which appears well prepared the those harsh South Dakota winters. This postcard is available on my website in the South Dakota listings.

The second post office is in Jacksonville Florida and is a 1920s postcard showing a towering design with a clock and bell tower as well as a huge turret in the foreground. This postcard is available in my Florida listings along with more than 10,000 additional postcards available on my website at Moody's Postcards.

Osborn Hall Yale University New Haven Connecticut

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Today's postcard is a beautiful example of the late 1800s Victorian buildings that are unmatched by today's architecture despite the accomplishments of the last 120 years. Osborn Hall was designed by Bruce Price and built in 1888 at the corner of Chapel and College on the Yale University campus in New Haven Connecticut. It was used for classrooms but its demise in 1926 was due to complaints about streetcar noise and a growing dislike for dark Victorian buildings by the 1920s. It was replaced by Bingham Hall. This postcard is available in my Connecticut web page listings on my website at Moody's Postcards.