Post Office & Minit-Park
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
The cornerstone laying ceremony for the new Alliance Post Office building on the northeast corner of Arch Avenue and East Market Street, took place on November 12, 1916. The ceremony was led by Conrad Lodge 271 of the Free and Accepted Masons who laid the cornerstone and music was provided by the Alliance City Band. The Neoclassical style building, made of sandstone with limestone details, was designed by James A. Wetmore, Acting Architectural Supervisor for the U.S. Treasury Department. It opened for business December 1, 1918, and has been in continuous use as Alliance's central post office ever since. The historic building underwent a "facelift" from 2013-2015, including removal of the exterior sandstone at the top of the building and then replacement of the damaged sandstone with new stone to maintain the building's historic integrity. A sample block from the removed damaged portion lies on the ground by the exterior mailbox.
The parking lot behind the post office on E. Market Street was the site of the former Minit-Park, an automated parking garage designed and built by Alliance Machine.
Images
Cornerstone ceremony for the Post Office building, November 12, 1916
Alliance Post Office, 1920s
Alliance Post Office, 2024
Renovations on the Alliance Post Office, 2014
Minit Park automatic parking garage
Minit Park automatic parking garage in Tokyo, Japan
Sources
National Park Service. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Alliance East Main Street Historic District, 2017.
Reminiscences of Elvin Madison: Minit-Park described beginning at 19:52. http://local.rodmanlibrary.com/video/madison.mp4
https://www.alliancememory.org/digital/collection/places/id/69/
https://www.alliancememory.org/digital/collection/places/id/139/
Alliance Historical Society. Photo by Karen Perone
Alliance Historical Society. Photo by Karen Perone
https://www.alliancememory.org/digital/collection/places/id/1609/rec/1
https://www.alliancememory.org/digital/collection/places/id/1330/