Napa Valley Register - Downtown post office renamed for Judge Tom Kongsgaard
Opened in 1933 and registered as a National Historic Place, the downtown Napa post office added a new chapter to its history Monday.
The Art Deco building at 1352 Second St. was renamed the Tom Kongsgaard Post Office Building in honor of the deceased Napa County Superior Court judge.
“He's not the kind of guy who would have expected this,” his daughter, Mary Kongsgaard, said before the ceremony. “He would have been thrilled and surprised and honored, and we are, too.”
Tom Kongsgaard's three children attended the renaming ceremony Monday morning on the post office lawn, in addition to Congressman Mike Thompson, who introduced and passed the bill to rename the building.
“Tom was just such an important part of Napa's history,” Thompson said after the ceremony. “I can't think of anyone more remarkable than Tom.”
The 111th Congress voted unanimously Dec. 14 to rename the post office after him.
Born in Everett, Wash., to Norwegian immigrants, Kongsgaard settled in Napa after law school. He married Lorrain, a fourth generation Napan whose parents had met and courted at the downtown post office, Mary Kongsgaard said.
Kongsgaard led an esteemed career as a judge. He served on the Napa County Superior Court bench from 1958 to 1984, served two terms on the California Judicial Council and was a member and chairman of the Judicial Performance Commission.
Four Superior Court judges attended the event Monday, along with Mayor Jill Techel and Supervisor Bill Dodd.
“The dedication of a post office is a fitting honor because, like the mail that runs through it, it connects America,” said Oscar Munoz, manager of post office operations.
Nationwide, an average of one post office is renamed every month, said Augustine Ruiz, a USPS spokesperson.
Every day, about 50,000 pieces of mail run through the Tom Kongsgaard Post Office Building.
“Some people would say this is the heart of Napa,” Mary Kongsgaard said. “So, thank you.”