perth post office (1862)
Architect
Robert Matheson
Year
1862
Selected bibliographical references
Dundee Courier & Argus 1 Jul 1862, p. 3
History
Demolished
Building description
From: Dundee Courier & Argus 1 July 1862, p. 3
This public office was opened for the transaction of business yesterday, and the old post office has been entirely closed. The site chosen is a good one, being opposite the Town Hall, at, the foot of High Street. The building is in the Italian style, and adds greatly to the beauty of the part of the city where it is situated. It has two fronts - one to the High Street, and the other to the river— each front being about 50 feet wide. The building consists of two storeys and attics. The ground-floor is of course entirely occupied with the necessary offices, while above is the residence of the postmaster. The public entrance is from High Street, and is a large and spacious one. Entering, we find ourselves in a handsome square porch or vestibule. Immediately in front are three tablets two of them perforated for letter and newspaper boxes, and the third intended to be used for publishing notices, regulations, &c. In the centre one is the general letter-box. By a very neat arrangement, a metal plate is made to fall and cover the opening when mails are being made up. The fall of the metal plate, while covering the slit for posting letters, reveals other two letter-slits — one on the left hand being for letters with an additional stamp, which can be posted for 10 minutes later; and the other for letters not intended for the post then being made up. The arrangement is good — easily I understood, and saves a great deal of trouble and inquiry. On the left side of the entrance porch is the Postmaster's room. It communicates with the flat above, and also with the clerks' apartments. Opposite this room, on the other side of the porch, are two glass doors, leading to the office where the ordinary business is to be transacted, such as money-orders, called-for letters, &c. Parties enter by one of the glass doors, and pass out by the other, thus avoiding anything like crushing or confusion. The office itself is a large and handsome one, about 10 feet by 20. Along it runs a counter like a banking-office, while on the wall near the clerk's hand is to be placed the private letter-box. It is here, therefore, that letters will be called for, which, we venture to say, will be a more agreeable operation than squeezing, as in the old office, up to a hole about the size of a man's head. From this office a door leads to the large hall behind, where the heavy part of the work of the establishment is done There is, besides this entrance for the clerks, an independent entrance from High Street, for giving out and receiving mail bags, &c. ; so that neither arrivals nor departures will interfere with the comfort of the public in the front offices. This hall is a very handsome room, being about 42 feet by 21 throughout, but broader at one part, which forms a recess, where all letters posted in the entrance porch — which we have described — fall into baskets prepared for them, whence they are taken to the sorting-tables. The room will be a pleasant one for the clerks, being very lofty in the ceiling, and supplied with a flood of light from a row of windows in three sides of the room. The various tables, counters, arranging-boxes, &c, are constructed after the most approved design, and all with a view to the rapid despatch of business. The upper flat contains a very commodious dwelling-house for the postmaster, containing drawing and dinning rooms, parlour, eight bed rooms, and every modern convenience. This dwelling-house has an independent entrance in the front facing the river, thus keeping the dwelling-house quite private from the public offices. The space between the river front and the river, will, we hope, some day form part of a street running along the bank of the Tay ; but, meantime, we trust the authorities, entirely of course reserving their rights, will give permission to have it nicely laid out. It would add greatly to the amenity of the residence, and the beauty of the building, as seen from the Bridge.or the other side of the river. Altogether, the building is a most suitable and handsome one, and its erection bestows a great boon on the public.
Robert Matheson
Year
1862
Selected bibliographical references
Dundee Courier & Argus 1 Jul 1862, p. 3
History
Demolished
Building description
From: Dundee Courier & Argus 1 July 1862, p. 3
This public office was opened for the transaction of business yesterday, and the old post office has been entirely closed. The site chosen is a good one, being opposite the Town Hall, at, the foot of High Street. The building is in the Italian style, and adds greatly to the beauty of the part of the city where it is situated. It has two fronts - one to the High Street, and the other to the river— each front being about 50 feet wide. The building consists of two storeys and attics. The ground-floor is of course entirely occupied with the necessary offices, while above is the residence of the postmaster. The public entrance is from High Street, and is a large and spacious one. Entering, we find ourselves in a handsome square porch or vestibule. Immediately in front are three tablets two of them perforated for letter and newspaper boxes, and the third intended to be used for publishing notices, regulations, &c. In the centre one is the general letter-box. By a very neat arrangement, a metal plate is made to fall and cover the opening when mails are being made up. The fall of the metal plate, while covering the slit for posting letters, reveals other two letter-slits — one on the left hand being for letters with an additional stamp, which can be posted for 10 minutes later; and the other for letters not intended for the post then being made up. The arrangement is good — easily I understood, and saves a great deal of trouble and inquiry. On the left side of the entrance porch is the Postmaster's room. It communicates with the flat above, and also with the clerks' apartments. Opposite this room, on the other side of the porch, are two glass doors, leading to the office where the ordinary business is to be transacted, such as money-orders, called-for letters, &c. Parties enter by one of the glass doors, and pass out by the other, thus avoiding anything like crushing or confusion. The office itself is a large and handsome one, about 10 feet by 20. Along it runs a counter like a banking-office, while on the wall near the clerk's hand is to be placed the private letter-box. It is here, therefore, that letters will be called for, which, we venture to say, will be a more agreeable operation than squeezing, as in the old office, up to a hole about the size of a man's head. From this office a door leads to the large hall behind, where the heavy part of the work of the establishment is done There is, besides this entrance for the clerks, an independent entrance from High Street, for giving out and receiving mail bags, &c. ; so that neither arrivals nor departures will interfere with the comfort of the public in the front offices. This hall is a very handsome room, being about 42 feet by 21 throughout, but broader at one part, which forms a recess, where all letters posted in the entrance porch — which we have described — fall into baskets prepared for them, whence they are taken to the sorting-tables. The room will be a pleasant one for the clerks, being very lofty in the ceiling, and supplied with a flood of light from a row of windows in three sides of the room. The various tables, counters, arranging-boxes, &c, are constructed after the most approved design, and all with a view to the rapid despatch of business. The upper flat contains a very commodious dwelling-house for the postmaster, containing drawing and dinning rooms, parlour, eight bed rooms, and every modern convenience. This dwelling-house has an independent entrance in the front facing the river, thus keeping the dwelling-house quite private from the public offices. The space between the river front and the river, will, we hope, some day form part of a street running along the bank of the Tay ; but, meantime, we trust the authorities, entirely of course reserving their rights, will give permission to have it nicely laid out. It would add greatly to the amenity of the residence, and the beauty of the building, as seen from the Bridge.or the other side of the river. Altogether, the building is a most suitable and handsome one, and its erection bestows a great boon on the public.
