vermont mural

Rutland, Vermont’s beautiful Post Office

I was born to be a designer.  Unfortunately, though, I didn’t come to that realization until AFTER I entered college as an English Lit Major.  As an English major, I read: A LOT. Most weeks I read four to six books at a time.  So, it was always a joy to read short stories.  One of my favorites was Eudora Welty’s “Why I live at the PO.”  This title always intrigued me…I wanted to read the story JUST to find out why ANYONE would want to live at a Post Office!

Architecture

Rutland’s old post office was a gem.  Sadly, due to efficiency and ADA compliance, it moved locations (across the parking lot) late last year and its new location is in an Art Deco building.  The exterior features glazed terra cotta blocks in colorful geometric patterns and verde antique marble insets.  It’s purportedly Vermont’s only Art Deco building.

But I sure do miss the beautiful old space.  After entering the building via a marble staircase, I never minded waiting in line in the lobby.  It was filled with murals, detailed moldings, a welcoming blue painted ceiling and dark mahogany wood accented by brightly polished brass.

mahogany vestibule

Murals

The murals were painted by a Vermont native of Bellows Falls named Stephen Belaski.  The oil on canvas paintings each share the same theme of freedom & unity: Ethan Allen (the leader of the Green Mountain Boys during the American Revolution…..NOT the furniture store),  an assembly of mountain fighters, the flogging of a NY land-grabber by Vermont landowners, the freeing of the first slave in Vermont, and Benedict Arnold aboard his ship on Lake Champlain.

Oil painting of freeing the first slave

History

Painted in 1937, these murals — part of an artistic movement inspired during the 1920s and ‘30s — are one project of the more than 200,000 artworks commissioned during the Depression years as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. New Dealers believed art should be accessible to all and, according to wpamurals.com, “certain visionary U.S. politicians decided to combine the creativity of the new arts movement with the values of the American people.”

Green mountain boys painting

This sounds beneficial to our current times.  Since we are entering an economic period of uncertainty, I would be delighted to see a similar program employing artists while uplifting spirits along the way.   Murals like the ones proudly displayed in our former post office are a “reminder of a time in our country’s history when dreams were not allowed to be destroyed by economic disaster.”

Have a well-designed day,

You’re invited to join the Design Digest, a bi-monthly digital diary offering an exclusive glimpse into the world of interior design. Whether you are a design enthusiast, homeowner, or simply someone who appreciates the beauty of well-curated spaces, our Design Digest is for you. Our digest is your exclusive passport to a world of creativity, where we share inspiration, curated shopping guides, intimate designer Q&A’s, and so much more.
Share the Post:

Related Posts

Still hungry? Here’s more

Copyright © 2024 Ruxana's Home Interiors - All Rights Reserved

Opening Hours:
Monday – Friday 9am – 4pm

Phone: 802.236.3055
Email: [email protected]

Join the fun

Sign up for exclusive access!

If you’re a design enthusiast, homeowner, or simply someone who appreciates the beauty of well-curated spaces – I invite you to join the Design Digest, a bi-monthly digital diary offering an exclusive glimpse into the world of interior design.

Our digest is your passport to a world of creativity, where I share inspiration, curated shopping guides, intimate designer Q&A’s, and so much more.