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La Jolla Post Office: National Register #12001109
May/June 2018
By A. Hayes
 Previously on SOHO's Most Endangered List, the La Jolla Post Office now boasts a long overdue plaque signifying its placement on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. The plaque on this Spanish Colonial Revival-style building at 1140 Wall Street was celebrated March 20. This significant Depression-era resource was also added to the local and state registers in 2013, after the United States Postal Service's disposal process closed the office and left the building's future uncertain. Thanks to the La Jolla Historical Society, SOHO, and many others, this landmark building remains prominent in the heart of La Jolla Village.
Designed in 1935 by Louis A. Simon, a supervising architect for the post office during the Works Progress Administration, this building strongly contributes to the civic core and character of downtown La Jolla. With its period of significance from 1935 to 1960, the designation includes an interior lobby feature: a mural painted by Belle Baranceanu titled Scenic View of the Village (1935-1936). Thousands of customers have enjoyed gazing at this acclaimed artist's distinctive depiction of the view down Hillside Drive toward the La Jolla coastline.
Photo by Sandé Lollis
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