Carman Dominion Post Office Building
15 – 1st Avenue SW,
Carman

Designation Date: January 25, 1990
Designation Authority: The Town of Carman
Present Owner: The Town of Carman

After 1867, the newly created Dominion Government began erecting the public buildings required for federal functions. Because there was a commitment to create buildings of the highest quality, the government formed a public works department and created a Chief Architect’s Office. Post offices were a priority for the Dominion and the buildings were invariably of high quality, both in terms of design and materials. Each design was unique but, because they were created by the same office in Ottawa, also shared a similar vocabulary. Most post offices across the country were solid blocks, usually of stone or brick, with a mansard roof pierced with dormers. A tall corner tower, often inset with a clock, was also a familiar feature.

Many of these characteristics are evident at the post office in Carman. Constructed in 1913–15 by the contracting firm of Snider Brothers, the building is certainly of the highest quality. It is the tower, however, that distinguishes this building from its cousins. Here, the more commonly used pyramidal roof gives way to an elegant dome that emphasizes the curves of the clock inserts.