Old Post Office, Santa Rosa, California
historic place
The Old Post Office in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, is a significant historic place. This Roman Renaissance Revival building was completed in 1910. It was designed by James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect for the U.S. Treasury Department. The building became Santa Rosa's first federal building and was part of the city's rebuilding efforts after the devastating 1906 earthquake. Postal employees, led by Postmaster H.L. Tripp, moved into the new facility on March 9, 1910. Originally located at 401 Fifth Street, the 1,700-ton structure was moved two blocks to its current Seventh Street location in 1979. This relocation, overseen by preservation architect Dan Peterson, saved the building from demolition. In 1979, it was also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, this historic building houses the Museum of Sonoma County, which opened in 1985. It stands as a notable example of early 20th-century federal architecture and community preservation.