Members of the Bridgeville Area Historical Society joined together to find a copy of the New Deal Era post office mural that was destroyed in the 1965 remodeling of the Bridgeville Post Office.

Mary Weise, Dana Spriggs, Dr. Bob Volle, Dr. John Oyler and Dorothy Stenzel teamed up with David Lembeck, post office mural expert, in 2006.

"I remember the illustration was on the wall, above the door," said Weise.

Between 1934 and 1943 the Treasury Section of Fine Art was established to commission artwork in newly-constructed federal post offices and courthouses as part of the New Deal programs.

"It is very rare, it involves painting on wet plaster, and it takes great skill. Few artists knew how to do it..." explained Lembeck. "Walter Carnelli's approach was unusual to the process. In 1941, he spent weeks at Vanadium Corporation sketching scenes; until a strike broke out. Also, he painted the mural on location. Most New Deal era artists visited a site and then returned home to paint it on canvas (or make a sculpture.)"

Spriggs of Texas was driven to find a copy. "I really don't remember all the routes I took, but I do know that there were many dead-ends; a lot of 'bits and pieces' of information but no one could put them all together.

"My 35 years with the US Army Corps of Engineers taught me there had to be a picture filed somewhere either at the U.S. Postal Service, or General Services Administration."

However, GSA spokesperson Maryanne Beatty explained that "our files show GSA requested the construction project for the building be deferred until alternate plans that included saving the mural could be formulated." There was no record of what the outcome was."

"You can see in some of the construction pictures who the local builder was," Stenzel said. "I placed calls to the company, but no one ever returned them."

"I spoke with old post masters and they did not know what happened either," said Weise.

The team ran into one brick wall after another. They spoke with neighboring historical societies. Libraries were visited. They distributed post cards. Nothing. Paula Carnelli, daughter of the artist, also did not have a copy.

But then some luck.

"We finally found a picture of the unfinished mural," said Weise. A man named Dallan C. Wordkemper, stationed at the USPS headquarters, provided it.

While working on his book, Lembeck teamed up with Dr. Curt Miner (museum curator) to produce the exhibit 'A Common Canvas: Pennsylvania New Deal Post Office Murals.' The pressure was on to find an image of the Bridgeville mural.

Lembeck visited the National Archives. "On the first day I found a lot of Pennsylvania murals, but not Bridgeville." Discouraged, but determined, he returned a second day. "I was going to go through every Pennsylvania photo if I had to! The artists had to turn in a black and white photograph for payment, so I knew there had to be a copy somewhere."

Sure enough, he found one misfiled. "Not even the archivists could find it."

"The picture was in rough condition, but Lembeck's photographer did a great job cleaning it up in Photoshop," explained Miner. "Paula Carnelli surprised us and came to opening night. It was great to meet her," Lembeck added.

Carnelli was grateful to all who helped find the picture. "Having my father's mural included in the exhibit was an enriching experience."

Spriggs was determined to bring 'Smelting' home. "He paid to have it enlarged and framed," said Weise. He made a copy for us, and one 'on loan' for the post office." Happy to have a copy, the society still holds out hope that someday someone will show up with a color copy. "That would be the Holy Grail," said Lembeck.

Dates for the post office unveiling are still being discussed. For more information contact the historical society at 412-221-5651.