Stories of the South - Macon Mississippi Post Office
The Macon Post Office was built in 1940 and was funded by the Public Building Administration of the Federal Works Agency. Meaning the money came from President FDR's New Deal during the depression. The Federal Works Agency offered work to the unemployed on a variety of programs including highways, building construction, reforestation, and rural habitation. I felt like it was a Federal Works Post Office and finally spotted the cornerstone the other day. I couldn't get a picture of it though, as it is obscured by bushes. Really frustrating. It's fairly big post office for a town the size of Macon, I think.
I was able to get in there the other Sunday with no one around and get some pictures of the beautiful mural inside. It's of course of the signing of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit which is the main reason we have a Noxubee County at all.
Finished in 1944 by Douglas Cockrell, the mural was also part of a program that came out of the great depression. The Federal Arts Project gave unemployed artists the opportunity to decorate hundreds of post offices, schools, and other public buildings with murals, canvases, and sculptures. To learn more about Cockrell go here.
Have a lovely Thursday my lovelies! It's dreary outside today but good news, cooler weather is on its way! And for those of us in the South that's always a good thing as it's been hotter than heck since about April. Until next time!
Must have been another one I missed while in Texas in Cyber purgatory. Please tell me you submitted this to the Living New Deal project!!
ReplyDeleteWell, I kinda snuck in on a Sunday to take the pictures of the inside so I don't have the permission of the Post Master per se. But I can submit them if you'll email where I need to send them.
ReplyDeleteThese are a treasure...I was born in Macon, my whole family was from Macon. Now I live in Pittsburgh and these pictures bring great memories. My aunt Joy Carlson still lives in Macon.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the kind comment! I've only lived in Macon about 7 years. I moved here from Montpelier, MS after I got married. It's a neat little town and I enjoy getting out and taking pictures of it. There is a list of tags on the left hand side of the page if you click on the one that says Macon it should bring up all my Macon pictures and posts. Thanks again!
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