Letter from J. P. Cullen to Charles C. Converse (May 5, 1941)
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from J. P. Cullen to Charles C. Converse (May 5, 1941)
Alternative Title
Letter from Cullen to Converse (May 5, 1941)
Subject
Orlando (Fla.)
Post offices
Description
A letter from J. P. Cullen to District 4 Engineer Charles C. Converse regarding photos of the construction of the Downtown Post Office. Cullen was the head of J. P. Cullen & Son, the general contractor for the construction of the new Downtown Orlando Post Office building, located at 51 East Jefferson Street. The letter included four sets of photographs to apprise them of the current progress of construction. The letter included four one set of photographs to apprise him of the current progress of construction.
The original post office was housed in the Federal Building, located 44 East Central Boulevard in Downtown Orlando, Florida, from 1917 to 1941. In 1935, when James D. Beggs, Jr. became the postmaster, he began petitioning to move the post office from its Central Boulevard and Court Avenue location to a more spacious building. In 1939, St. James Catholic Church sold a plot of land on Jefferson Street for the new building. The building, located at 51 East Jefferson Street, was designed by Louis A. Simon in the Northern Italian Palazzo Revival-style, and was constructed by J. P. Cullen & Son. The new building opened in 1941 and housed the post office, the courthouse, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offices. The building was named an Orlando Historic Landmark in 1989. However, it was eventually sold back to the St. James Church. In 2003, the building was renovated and came under joint ownership by both the church and the federal government. Today, the building retains its post office services but also includes offices for the Catholic Diocese.
The original post office was housed in the Federal Building, located 44 East Central Boulevard in Downtown Orlando, Florida, from 1917 to 1941. In 1935, when James D. Beggs, Jr. became the postmaster, he began petitioning to move the post office from its Central Boulevard and Court Avenue location to a more spacious building. In 1939, St. James Catholic Church sold a plot of land on Jefferson Street for the new building. The building, located at 51 East Jefferson Street, was designed by Louis A. Simon in the Northern Italian Palazzo Revival-style, and was constructed by J. P. Cullen & Son. The new building opened in 1941 and housed the post office, the courthouse, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offices. The building was named an Orlando Historic Landmark in 1989. However, it was eventually sold back to the St. James Church. In 2003, the building was renovated and came under joint ownership by both the church and the federal government. Today, the building retains its post office services but also includes offices for the Catholic Diocese.
Creator
Cullen, J. P.
Source
Original letter from J. P. Cullen to Charles C. Converse, May 5, 1941: Private Collection of Texann Ivy Buck.
Date Created
1941-04-30
Contributor
Buck, Texann Ivy
Is Format Of
Digital reproduction of original letter from J. P. Cullen to Charles C. Converse, May 5, 1941.
Is Part Of
Downtown Orlando Post Office Collection, Orlando Remembered Collection, Orlando Collection, Orange County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.
Format
image/jpg
Medium
1-page typewritten letter
Language
eng
Type
Text
Coverage
Downtown Orlando Post Office, Downtown Orlando, Florida
Accrual Method
Donation
Mediator
History Teacher
Provenance
Originally created by J. P. Cullen.
Rights Holder
Copyright to this resource is held by Texann Ivy Buck and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.
Contributing Project
Curator
Stoddard, James
Digital Collection
Source Repository
Private Collection of Texann Ivy Buck
External Reference
Kilsheimer, Joe. "Old Post Offices Aid Revitalization Efforts." AMERICAN CITY AND COUNTY. 119: 20-21.
Rajtar, Steve. A Guide to Historic Orlando. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2006.
Collection
Citation
Cullen, J. P., “Letter from J. P. Cullen to Charles C. Converse (May 5, 1941),” RICHES, accessed April 26, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/7605.