Here in the Valleys of the Susquehanna, we are fortunate to have so many picturesque and stately small towns. One of the many pleasures of visiting these communities is walking around our traditional town centers. Each has its own assortment of commercial and residential buildings, but the one feature we all have in common is the post office, which was intended to be a “federal presence” in the heart of a community.

While strolling through our towns in central Pennsylvania, enjoy the variety of architectural styles and details of these buildings. Venture inside, where you may be surprised to find beautiful and significant works of art usually found in galleries and museums.

Such works of art were created during the New Deal Era when the federal government commissioned artists to create murals and sculpture inspired by the community in which they were displayed. These artists would visit our community’s for weeks at a time, actively engaging citizens and resident historians in dialogue to discover the history, traditions and stories that helped shape their community. Each masterpiece of post office art is more than paint or plaster, bronze or marble. It is the visual representation of the story that makes each town unique and memorable. Travel back in time and enjoy the beautifully rendered scenes of our agricultural and industrial heritage.

The following roadtrip features eleven post offices. Eight of these feature artworks from the New Deal Era (Bloomsburg, Danville, Mifflinburg, Milton, Muncy, Renovo, and Selinsgrove). The other three (Bellefonte, Lewisburg, and Williamsport) are wonderful examples of federal architecture.