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Helper Main Post Office

The Helper Main Post Office, built in 1937 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), is significant for its association with the federal government’s New Deal public arts programs. As one of only three Utah post offices that contain public art, it shows the depression era link between the federal government and the community. Built for less than $45,000, architect Louis Simon, engineer Neal Melick, and contractors Newstrom-Davis of Denver supervised the construction.

The interior mural hanging over the postmaster’s door was painted by Jenne Magafan and represents a notable type, period, and style of artistic expression. The oil on canvas mural, entitled “A Typical Western Town,” depicts a dusty main street of false front wooden buildings and two horsemen riding into a town. The design was the winner in a forty-eight state competition sponsored by the Fine Arts Section of the Federal Works Agency.

Marker placed in 1997 (CR-07-729.) by Division of State History.

Located at 45 South Main Street in Helper, Utah and added to the National Register of Historic Places (#89001995) on November 27, 1989.

The Helper Post Office is significant on the state and local levels. As one of only three post offices in the State of Utah that contain public artwork commissioned by the Treasury Department’s Section of Painting and Sculpture during the Depression, the building carries a strong association with the federal relief programs of that era. The artwork (lobby mural), which depicts the dusty main street of a western town, is an example of the American Regionalism fostered by the Section during the New Deal. The building itself is locally significant in its symbolism of the federal presence and the massive public works programs that were initiated to aid communities during a period of national economic emergency. The Helper Post Office, an unaltered example of a small town single-purpose post office, is identified as a contributing building to the Helper Commercial District which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Both the mural and building exemplify the link between the federal government and the community.

ART

According to Dan E. Burke, in the exhibition catalogue for Utah Art of the Depression (1986) , the public arts pro- grams sponsored by the federal government in Utah during the Depression were successful in not only in enriching the lives of Utah citizens but also for laying down the first stone in the foundation of a vital cultural movement. The first of the federal programs, the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), functioned from December 1933 to June 1934. Under the direction of the Women’s Division of the Utah Civil Works Administration ten projects were initially assigned to Utah artists. These works included sculptures, sketches, easel paintings and murals for the Utah State Capitol rotunda.

After the initial projects were completed, several other artists received commissions to execute murals and easel paintings.

Following PWAP, arts programs were continued under the Federal Emergency Relief Administration of Utah (FERA) which existed in Utah from April 1, 1934 to July 1, 1935. Administered by Judy F. Lund, twenty-two artists produced eighty- three art works. These works included easel paintings, ceramic pieces, woodblock prints, sketches, sculptures, posters and the completion of the State Capitol dome murals. The program allowed completion of projects initiated under PWAP, provided additional opportunity for artists to produce their artwork, and continued federal support for the arts until the beginning of the Section of Painting and Sculpture.