A Tichnor Bothers postcard of the Augusta post office.

The august post office first opened in 1890 and was built of Hallowell granite. The grand structure, complete with a corner tower, Roman arches, a winding staircase, and 32,000 square feet of space, was built in response to the growth of Augusta’s publishing industry.

It served as the city’s main post office until the 1960s. The original building, a classic example of American architectural style Richardsonian Romanesque, was altered in 1910, making the tower the center point, then again in the mid-twentieth century, adding a south wing. It was also placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

The Tichnor Brothers printing company published this type of postcard circa 1938 as part of their Maine series. These, and other postcards, by the Tichnor Brothers Company are officially known as the Tichnor Gloss Series because the photographs were notoriously retouched on such a level that does not allow the postcards to be classified as photographs or paintings. The caption reads, "Post office, Augusta, Maine."