1925 Gilmer Post Office

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Now, most buildings in a Texas county seat have a story that starts with somebody local. But this one, this one came from outside.

The architect behind the 1925 Gilmer Post Office was a man named James A. Wetmore, and the contractor who actually swung the hammers was A. C.

Stamford, out of Alabama. Stamford brought workers with him from back home, and he also hired folks right here from Upshur County. So the crew was a mix, Alabama and Texas, working side by side on a piece of federal work.

Construction got underway in June of 1925, and by early the following year, the building was complete. Done. Standing.

Ready for business. And what a thing to stand on a Texas town square. Red brick and white limestone.

Georgian revival details. A pedimented central entry, which is a fancy way of saying that front door meant something. There was a parapet balustrade up top, wood trim, flanking entry lamps beside the door, a proper cornerstone, and a stairway leading up to the entrance.

The federal government, when it built in those days, wanted you to know you were walking into something official. Something that carried weight. That building served as the Gilmer Post Office for decades, right up until October 1991, when a new facility took over the job.

And then, for a stretch, the old 1925 building sat vacant. Empty. A fine piece of federal architecture with nobody coming through those entry lamps anymore.

But March of 1992, local groups stepped in and purchased it. They had a different purpose in mind, using it as a historical museum. So the building that once carried the mail of Upshur County now carries its memory.

That's a pretty good second act for a post office from Alabama-born hands.

What the marker says

Designed by architect James A. Wetmore, this building was constructed by A. C. Stamford of Alabama, who employed workers from Alabama and from Upshur County. Construction began in June 1925 and was completed early the following year. This structure served as the Gilmer Post Office until October 1991, when it was replaced by a new facility. The 1925 building remained vacant until March 1992 when local groups purchased it for use as a historical museum. A fine example of federal architecture, it features Georgian revival details of red brick and white limestone, plus wood trim, a pedimented central entry and parapet balustrade. Typical postal embellishments such as flanking entry lamps, a cornerstone and a stairway to the door give the structure a classical character. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1998