Lebanon Post Office

The Lebanon Post Office, located at 101 East Main Street in Lebanon, Kentucky, stands as a distinguished example of early 20th-century federal architecture. Completed in 1911, the building was designed under the direction of James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect of the U.S. Treasury Department, who was responsible for many civic buildings of the era.

Architectural Features

Constructed in yellow Flemish bond brick, the two-story, three-bay structure features a hipped roof and one-story wings, sitting atop a tooled ashlar foundation. The triple-arched entrance porch with a terrazzo floor immediately catches the eye, as do the decorative arched window heads, basketweave brick panels, and inset soldier courses. A prominent stone cornice at the second-floor level and wide eaves with exposed rafter ends give the building a Mediterranean flair.

What’s especially noteworthy is how different this building looks from the others around it. With its stucco-like brick tones, arcade-style porch, and deep overhanging eaves, the post office almost feels more at home in Florida or the Southwest than in the heart of central Kentucky. While the rest of Lebanon's historic commercial district reflects more typical local styles—Italianate, Classical Revival, and modest vernacular forms—the post office brings a flavor that’s unexpected, even exotic, for the region.

Inside, the craftsmanship continues: marble wainscoting, paneled ceiling beams with dentils, and a richly detailed cornice supported by paneled piers all speak to the care and pride of its original design and construction.

Historical Significance

The building is a contributing property within the Lebanon Historic Commercial District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. The district, encompassing 32 contributing structures, represents a broad array of styles, including Classical Revival, Art Deco, and Italianate. The post office has long stood as both a functional public space and a cherished piece of Lebanon’s architectural legacy.

A Building at Risk

Today, however, the future of the Lebanon Post Office is uncertain. The United States Postal Service is evaluating the possibility of relocating services to a different facility. Should this historic building be vacated, it risks falling into disrepair—or worse, being demolished altogether. Without active use and maintenance, structures like this often deteriorate rapidly. Its potential abandonment threatens not just the loss of a functioning post office, but the erasure of a significant part of Lebanon's civic and architectural heritage.

Preserving the Lebanon Post Office means preserving a piece of history—one that continues to connect the community to its past while serving its present.