Preserving the Past

Franklin Station Post Office Glass Lanterns

On Friday, October 1st, volunteers from Napa County Landmarks (NCL) assisted by Stephen Cuddy of Napa Design Partners, covered the glass-lensed lanterns of the former Franklin Station Post Office building in Downtown Napa.

Original lantern from the San Francisco 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition.

Built in 1933 as a WPA project, the building suffered significant damage in the 2014 South Napa Earthquake. Mr. Jim Keller, current owner, accepted NCL’s offer to cover the beautiful lanterns to prevent further neglect and weather damage.

With six volunteers working in teams, the whole process of covering the four lanterns was completed in a little over an hour. The property remains distressed, with overgrown weeds and garbage on the grounds in addition to the earthquake damage and deterioration caused by seven years of vacancy, however NCL members are happy to see the lanterns secured.

Franklin Station Post Office cornerstone on the northeast side of the building.

The glass-lensed lanterns were originally from the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition held in San Francisco. Napa was lucky to receive these amazing lanterns as other cities were also vying for them. The Palace of Fine Arts is the only structure left from this World’s Fair. A nice piece of history that Napa possesses!

NCL volunteers, left to right: Jonathan Franz, Stephen Cuddy, Ernie Schlobohm, Kara Brunzell, Austene Hall, and Phil Barber.

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Preserving the Past

Franklin Station Post Office Glass Lanterns

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