James A. Farley Post Office

The James A. Farley Post Office is the Main Post Office in Manhattan with a zip code of 10001. It was named after a former Postmaster General who was also a strongman in the Democratic Party. Built in 1912, the Beaux Arts style James A. Farley Post Office was for years the largest post office in the United States—393,000 square feet and two city blocks. It has an elegant row of corinthian columns fronting its façade, with the famous words "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" inscribed above them, over a length of 280 feet. It is not originally inspired, but based on an ancient Persian postal inscription dating back to 520 B.C. In spite of the majesty of its Classical columns, the building is on the U.S. Postal Service's downsize list. New York State has bought the building with plans to preserve and redevelop it for transportation use. Architect David Childs heads the redesign team. The building is located at 421 Eighth Avenue across from Madison Square Garden/Penn Station complex.