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Mural returns to post office
 It's a reminder of a bygone era that became a fixture in downtown Winnsboro and now it's back where it belongs.
The mural that hung for over 60 years in the old post office was returned to its proper place on Monday after nearly a decade of storage following a 1999 restoration.
"Old folks like me who walk into the building always look up to see if it's there, because its been there as long as long as we can remember. I'm glad to have it back," said Paul Price, curator of the museum that will be housed in the old post office on Prairie Street.
The oil on canvas, called "Logging in the Bayou," dates to 1936 —the year the post office opened—and was painted by Datus E. Myers.
The painting was removed in 1999 and underwent a two year restoration by Tony Rajer, a Wisconsin artist who specializes in art conservation.
The painting was brought back to Winnsboro in 2001 and stored by the post office.
The mural, which depicts logging in Franklin Parish when the region was primarily a timber hub, is more than just a throwback to Winnsboro's history —it is a piece of history.
Myers, an New Mexico artist, was commissioned to paint "Logging on the Bayou" as coordinator of the Public Works for Artist Project, a division of the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) created by President Roosevelt during the Great Depression.
The mural is one of many created by Myers during the 1930s that were placed in federal buildings throughout the country depicting scenes of local history and folk-lore characteristic of the regions in which they were placed.
The old post office, which is currently undergoing restorations, will be open this Saturday, Aug. 21, for Hot August Nights. |
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