“Erosion, Reclamation and Conservation of the Soil” by Isidore Toberoff. Used with permission of the United States Postal Service.

Isidore Toberoff’s mural, Erosion, Reclamation and Conservation of the Soil,  was completed in 1942 (Mississippi Department of Archives and History/Historic Resources Inventory database).  The oil-on-canvas work was completed under the auspices of the Treasury Section of Fine Arts (NewDealArtRegistry.org).  Toberoff was a 1942 Pulitzer Prize winner in art, and while himself recovering from war injuries, helped to provide therapy for wounded soldiers in the occupational therapy program at Fort Benjamin Harrison in 1943 (Bower, S. E. (1984). A History of Fort Benjamin Harrison, 1903-1982. Fort Benjamin Harrison, Ind.: Command History Office, US Army Soldier Support Center).

LIke several of the Mississippi post offices completed during that time period by the New Deal and the Works Progress Administration, Durant’s post office contains the wooden vestibule.

The Colonial Revival style post office was completed in 1939; builder was B. L. Knost, and the architect was the Office of the Supervising Architect of Treasury (MDAH/HRI).

Categories: Historic Preservation, New Deal, Post Offices