San Pedro Federal Building and Post Office

839 S. Beacon St
San Pedro, CA 90731

The San Pedro Federal Building and Post Office was built between 1935-1938. The architect was Louis A. Simon who also designed the Canoga Park Post Office and the Whittier Post Office. He was the supervising architect of the Treasury Department from 1933 to 1939. The building was built in the simplified Art-Deco style that was common in the 1930s. The basket weave pattern in the floor tile gives the impression that a rug is laying on a black marble floor.

The mural “Mail Transportation” was painted by Fletcher Martin. Martin was a self-taught artist, and he won the commission to paint the murals among seventy-seven artists. By the age of twelve he was working as a printer. He dropped out of high school and held odd jobs like lumberjack and professional boxer. He served in the Navy in the early 20s until finally ending up in Los Angeles teaching at art schools such Otis Art Institute.

“Mail Transportation” is an oil an canvas that shows how mail is transported no matter the conditions, whether it is in the frozen arctic or hot desert the mail gets where it needs to go. It also shows some of the harbor's heritage. The mural was restored by Jose-Luis Gonzalez from Goez Studio.